Naruto: Indecisive NaruSaku
by x-MiyakoNakamura-x
Summary: Naruto has spent most of his life in the shadow of his rival, Sasuke. He has watched the girl he has always loved, Sakura, learn to love another. But after a unexpected meeting with Hinata, he is suddenly torn between two girls. But not all is as it seems. Will he make the right choice? Or will his heart be broken?
1. The Gift And The Note

_**Hai, people. Welcome to Chapter 1 of my first NaruSaku story - Indecisive. I just wanna say thanks to xRinnyKagaminex for showing me what the heck I need to do with this thing. At the moment I'm rating it K-T, but later on it might become an M, due to language etc. Some of the characters' personalities are a little different, but that's part of the twist. Hope y'all like it :3**_

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_**~Chapter One: A Gift For Sakura~**_

I knew as soon as I approached Sakura's street that this was a stupid idea, but still I carried on walking, hands in my pockets and fingering the wrapped gift I'd made for her. It was a bracelet, made of semi-transparent beads of red and pink, Sakura's favourite colours. It took me ages to make, and at first I was dead proud of it. But now, when I felt it again, I realised that the beads were a little uneven, the string slightly worn.

"Too late to do anything now," I muttered to myself as I stopped outside Sakura's door. I almost hoped she wouldn't answer, but within a few seconds, the door opened and her smiling face appeared, green eyes bright, a pink flower clipped behind her ear.

"Hi!" she said brightly. Then her eyes focused on me. "Oh, Naruto-kun, it's you." She didn't seem impressed to see me. She was probably expecting Sasuke. After all, it was Valentine's Day.

"Sakura-chan, happy Valentine's Day!" I told her, and she raised one thin pink eyebrow. I sheepishly grinned as I took the gift out of my pocket and handed it to her. Our fingers touched as she took it from me, and I felt a tingle run through my body.

"Um, thank you, Naruto-kun." she said, turning the parcel over in her fingers and opening it. I saw her eyes light up as she saw the gift, but she quickly masked it when she looked up at me. "It's nice," she murmured.

I resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. She smiled again and bowed her head slightly. Then she looked at the bracelet. So did I.

"Would you help me put it on, Naruto-kun?" she asked nervously, and a smile broke across my face. It must have looked a little creepy, because the next thing I knew, I was on my butt and my cheek was burning. I put my hand to my face and felt blood running from my nose. Ouch.

"Naruto-kun, you IDIOT!" Sakura screeched at me, cradling her hand to her chest. My face must have been harder than I thought. Probably all that ramen. I shook my head in disbelief, staring at her. Sakura's eyes burned with fury, but after a few moments of silence, she composed herself.

"I'll see you at the Academy, Naruto-kun. Thanks again," she muttered, but there was no emotion in her voice. I half smiled, bowed my head, and turned away.

"Oh, and Naruto-kun?" Sakura called, and I looked at her over my shoulder.

"Mm?" I replied. My blue eyes met with hers, and after a second she looked down. A faint pink stain flooded her cheeks. God, that was adorable on Sakura.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Naruto-kun," she whispered, and shut the door. I blushed too, and leaned against the wooden fence outside Sakura's house. Maybe Sakura didn't love Sasuke after all. Maybe he was just a passing phase…

A rustling of leaves and a gasp broke into my thoughts, and I looked around. I saw a quick flash of midnight blue hair rounding a corner, and stood up. My foot brushed against something on the floor, and I looked down to see a note with my name on it. How the…? I opened the note and began to read. The writing was small and very neat, much neater than mine, and it definitely wasn't Sakura's.

There were a lot of crossed out words, and it was as if the person had written something, then thought better of it and replaced it with something…less embarrassing? My eyes scanned the lines, and slowly widened.

_Sasuke, _it read, _I'm just writing to wish you Happy Valentine's Day! I was wondering if you'd be my Valentine. Hopefully, Naruto won't come round and ask me if I'll be HIS Valentine. He's just so annoying, right? So, anyway, come talk to me in class or something. I'll be waiting! Love always, Sakura._

I gasped and crumpled up the letter. How could she? No, how could _I _have been so stupid? Of course Sakura liked Sasuke. I should have known that. I don't even know what she sees in him. He thinks he's better than everyone else, and he doesn't even seem to notice Sakura half the time.

A low growl bubbled up, and I had to bite my tongue until I tasted blood to stop it coming out. A mother was pushing her baby in a pram across the street, and I sighed. Another thing I would never have: a family. No mom to patch me up when I got hurt or to tell me that everything would be okay, no dad to take me fishing and encourage me, no brothers or sisters to talk to or mess around with. They'd already taken that from me, so why did they want to take Sakura away too?

I threw the letter in the nearest wastepaper bin and ran to school, trying to take my mind off it. But the words on the letter swam around in my mind until I felt dizzy. I reached out and put my hand on a nearby wall to steady myself.

"N-Naruto-kun?" a small voice asked. I looked up to see a small, pale girl about my age, with blue-black hair and eyes the colour of pearls. I knew her, she was in my class. What was her name again? Hisako, Hisa…Hinata! That's it.

"Hey, Hinata." I replied. Her face suddenly went bright pink, and then beetroot red.

"Uh…a-are you o-okay, Naruto-k-kun?" she asked timidly, and I nodded, making an okay sign with my finger and thumb. She nodded, breathing out as if she was relieved.

"Um, I'll walk with you to class, if you want. I'm headed the same way…I mean…obviously I'm heading the same way, but…I…" Okay, what the hell was I saying? I was messing this up a LOT. Pull yourself together, Naruto.

Hinata gasped, her eyes locking with mine, and she seemed to blush even more. She swayed a little, then rocked back, and then just…fainted. I caught her before she could hit the stone floor, and a weird feeling shot through me. Not a tingle, like I had when Sakura's fingers touched mine. No, this was deeper, more intense, more-

"Hey, Naruto!" a male's voice yelled. I turned to see Kiba running towards me, Akamaru clinging to his hair. I raised my hand to wave at him, but quickly returned it to support Hinata's weight. She was light, so I carried her into school as Kiba walked beside me.

"Well, you got what you always wanted," Kiba said cheerfully, and I looked at him. "Girls falling at your feet!" Akamaru yapped in agreement, and I grinned. "I guess," I replied.

My eyes swivelled down to Hinata's pale face. "There could be something wrong with her," I murmured, but Kiba shook his head.

"Nah, Hinata faints whenever she's nervous," he grinned, and I stopped in my tracks. Why would Hinata have been nervous around me? Kiba turned back to look at me.

"What?" he asked, eyes confused.

"Why would Hinata have been nervous around me?"

Kiba sighed. "I don't know. Maybe she likes you," he joked, and I growled at him. I would have chased him if I hadn't been carrying Hinata. We turned a corner and Kiba knocked on the nurse's door. She appeared in a few seconds.

"Yes, boys?" she asked. She caught sight of Hinata lying in my arms, and rolled her eyes. "Again?" She looked at Kiba, who nodded.

"Yes, ma'am." he replied, and the nurse smiled at him.

"Thanks for bringing her here, boys. I'm sure she'll be fine after she's had a glass of water." the nurse told us, and took Hinata from my arms, carrying her with ease. Kiba mock punched my shoulder.

"C'mon, lover boy, let's get to class."

I glared at him, and he stepped back and began to run full speed down the corridor to our homeroom. I ran after him and skidded around the corner a few seconds after he did. I'd just grabbed the hood of his coat as we crashed into one of the new teachers at our school, Kakashi. He was immersed in one of the Make-Out Tactics books, so he didn't even notice us coming. We sent him and his book flying, and we all landed on the cold floor in a daze.

"Jeez, boys, can't you watch where you're going?" he told us sternly. He wore a mask across his nose and mouth, and his headband was worn at an angle so it covered one of his eyes, so we couldn't really see his expression, but soon, he laughed.

"I'll let you off this time. Boys will be boys, after all!" he said cheerfully. "I remember when I was your age. Good times. Iruka and I-"

"You knew Iruka-sensei when you were younger?" I interrupted, and he nodded. Kiba and I exchanged glances and grinned at each other. "What was he like as a kid?"

"Was he a geek?" Kiba added.

"Were you best friends?"

"Did he-"

"Okay!" Kakashi cut me off. "That information is top secret, and if I told you, I'd have to kill you, horribly."

Kiba looked at me and raised his eyebrows. I looked at Kiba and raised mine. Then we both stared at Kakashi, who gave us a one fingered salute and laughed again.

"Have a good day, boys!" he told us, and continued past us down the corridor, turning left at the end. Kiba let out a low whistle.

"That guy's creepy." I told him.

"Yeah," Kiba agreed. "But if he was friends with Iruka-sensei, then he can't be too bad. Plus, he was one of the Fourth's students."

I stopped and stared at Kiba. "He was one of the Fourth's?" I asked, and Kiba nodded, smiling.

"Cool, huh?" he said. "C'mon, let's get to class. Iruka-sensei will only moan at us if we're late…again!" With that he began running towards our homeroom.

I followed him through the door, and he went up to the back row to take his seat next to Shino. On his other side was where Hinata usually sat, and Shino looked at him questioningly. Kiba rolled his eyes, and Shino nodded. He seemed to know about Hinata's fainting problems too.

I took my own seat on the third row, next to Sakura's empty chair. Sasuke was seated at the other end of the table, resting his chin on his hands. He didn't make any noise.

Ino burst in a few minutes later, and she almost squealed as soon as she saw Sasuke. "Hi, Sasuke-kun!" she cried, standing beside him, hands clasped. He didn't move or make any attempt to answer her. Seriously? I didn't like Ino at all, but even she could do better than Sasuke.

Iruka called for quiet, so, grudgingly, Ino took her seat next to Chouji and Shikamaru. Shika nodded to me and half smiled, and Chouji waved. I waved back and turned to the front, just as Sakura burst through the door, her hair blown about by the wind. Somehow, she still managed to look cute. I stopped that thought cold. After all, Sakura had written the note.

Unlike Ino, she didn't go right up to Sasuke. She mumbled good morning to him, and looked up to smile at me. I did not smile back. Was she this cruel? Write a note like that to Sasuke and then rub it in my face? Nice. Somehow, I expected more.

I still felt a tingle as she brushed past me to get to her seat, but I ignored it. It didn't make me feel good anymore. It was more like every touch was a punishment for believing in something that could never come true.

My bracelet slid down her wrist as she sat down, and I had to look away, blinking back tears. Iruka began talking, but I couldn't pay attention, I just stared at the wall.

"Hey, Naruto-kun, are you okay?" Sakura asked. I ignored her, but it hurt, oh, God, it hurt so badly. I could feel her eyes on me, but I took in a breath and stayed where I was, and eventually, she returned her gaze to Iruka.

My shoulders were shaking, and I bit down on my tongue hard to stop anything coming out that I would regret later. I felt sick. My stomach churned and my head spun, and there seemed to be two of everything. Iruka's voice became distant, and I couldn't breathe, and I was trembling, and then the door creaked open and Hinata came in and our eyes met and she smiled slightly and I stared at her and I felt…fine.

The sickness disappeared as quickly as it had come, and I let out a sigh. What the hell had happened there? I had felt so bad, but as soon as I'd seen Hinata, it had all gone away somehow. How the heck had that happened?

Iruka dismissed Hinata with a glance and she took her place behind me. I turned to watch her go. Her hair fell straight around her shoulders, framing her face. She looked better than she had when I'd last seen her, and her eyes seemed to sparkle. She even had the courage to meet my eyes and give me a smile. God, she was beautiful when she smiled. Easily as pretty as Sakura, or maybe even more so…

The day sped by, and before I knew it, the final bell had rung, and students filed out from the back row to the front. Kiba, Shino, Chouji, Shika, Neji, and Lee were waiting for me outside.

"You walking with us, Naruto?" Shika asked.

"Just give me two minutes, okay?" I told him, and he nodded.

"Take your time," Neji said without any hint of sarcasm.

"We'll be waiting!" Lee called as I grinned gratefully and rounded a corner to where Hinata, Ino and Tenten were standing, chatting. Ino said something and they all laughed. I walked over to them, but stopped when I saw Sakura running over.

"Ino-chan, Tenten, Hina-chan!" Sakura called, and they all turned to her, waving.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Tenten replied, giving Sakura a fierce hug. Ino grinned, but it looked forced. She whispered something in Tenten's ear, and Tenten giggled. Sakura raised her eyebrows, and Tenten turned to Hinata to whisper the same thing.

I didn't see it coming, but before I knew it Ino was staggering backwards towards the wall and cradling her nose with her fingers.

The veins on Hinata's head stood out, and her eyes were focused on Ino. Her fist was clenched and she was in a ready position. I stared at her. Man, she wasn't the helpless, shy girl I thought she was. She was WAY more than that. She was brave, brave enough to take Ino on.

They looked like they were about to start fighting again, but Sakura jumped between them, arms outstretched.

"STOP IT!" she screamed. Ino stepped back, but Hinata stayed where she was.

"Ino-chan, tell Sakura-chan what you told me and Tenten," Hinata almost growled.

Ino straightened up. "Fine," she replied, staring Sakura in the eye.

"Ino-chan, what did you say?" Sakura said, lower lip quivering.

Ino swallowed as she saw Sakura. "I'm sorry." she said after a while, turning and walking away. Tenten looked at Ino, then at Sakura, then at Hinata, who was still burning with rage.

"Sakura-chan, do you want me to tell you what she said?" Hinata asked more gently. Sakura sighed, closing her eyes, and nodded.

"Tell me, Hina-chan," she whispered.

"She said you're a slut that follows Sasuke around, and that he'll never ever go for you because you're a self obsessed bitch," Hinata said.

I froze. I could feel the fury bubbling up inside me. I could feel my eyes turning red, the burning as my hands turned to claws and everything turned red.

How dare Ino say such things about Sakura. How DARE she? I could have gone after her and ripped her apart, but then I realised that I couldn't.

I couldn't do that to Ino. As much as they said they hated each other, I knew that hurting Ino would hurt Sakura, and I could never EVER do that. I'd die for Sakura, and I would never intentionally hurt her. I took in a deep breath, but the anger would not subside. I crushed my eyes shut and clenched my fists.

I wasn't aware of anything after that, until I felt cool hands on either side of my face. I opened my eyes to see Hinata staring back at me. Her face calmed me, soothed me, and I felt all the fury disappear. A cool sensation flooded through my veins, and I sagged slightly. Then I remembered that it was Hinata who was standing in front of me.

"Hina-chan…" I whispered, and she smiled at me. I smiled back. I felt myself blushing and saw Hinata doing the same, and we both looked away sheepishly. When our eyes met again, the veins that had stood out before had gone, and a quick glance at my hands confirmed that I was back to normal. I looked over Hinata's shoulder and saw that Sakura was leaning against a wall, eyes wide.

I wondered what she must be feeling like. Then I remembered that I wasn't supposed to care. Then I wasn't able to think of much at all, as before I knew it, Hinata's lips were pressed against mine.

And the worst thing? I didn't resist. I closed my eyes, partly because I wanted to savour the moment, but partly because I couldn't bear to see the look of fear, betrayal, and heartbreak on Sakura Haruno's face.

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_**Wow, first chapter and already Naruto is torn between two girls. I'm all for NaruSaku, and this is only the beginning, so please don't rage at me because it's turning out to be a NaruHina story. There will be many more twists in future, so you're gonna have to be patient. I'll try to update pretty frequently, and no less often than each week, so keep reading :3**_


	2. How Am I Going To Face Sakura?

_**I'm back, people, with chapter 2 of my NaruSaku story, Indecisive. I hope you liked the last one, and I left you on a bit of a cliff hanger last time, sorry about that. I did say you really need to follow the story through, as it is meant to be a NaruSaku story, so bear with me. This probably won't be as long as the previous chapter, as that one really needed to introduce the characters. I started off writing from Naruto's point of view, but in upcoming chapters, that is likely to change. Well, I can't think of much else to say, so enjoy, review, comment, etc :3**_

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_**~Chapter Two: Torn Between Two Girls~**_

When we broke apart, I looked deep into Hinata's eyes and saw everything. I saw love, anger, fury, betrayal, worry, concern, nervousness, anxiety, curiosity, friendship. I saw everything that Hinata had been and was, and I loved it.

My hands moved of their own accord down her back to her waist, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. I heard Sakura gasp, and it was a broken sound. I tried to ignore it, but oh, my God, it felt like I was being torn in two, and I understood. I understood everything that had been tangled up in my head for so long.

Don't get me wrong, I liked Hinata. Maybe even loved her. But I would always love Sakura more than anything. I pulled away from Hinata, trying not to look at her expression as I pushed past her, my arms out to Sakura.

"Sakura-chan!" I called, but she turned away from me and walked down the street, tears in her eyes.

"Leave me alone, Naruto-kun!" she screamed at me. Overhead, I heard the crash of thunder, and watched as it began to rain.

My eyes snapped back to Sakura's face. "What is your PROBLEM, Sakura-chan? You act as if I don't exist, then when I kiss Hina-chan, you act as if I've done something wrong!" I yelled. Sakura gasped, her green eyes wide and sparkling with tears.

"You ignored me today, Naruto-kun, so I stopped trying to get your attention!" Sakura cried, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Don't lie to me, Sakura-chan," I whispered. "I saw the note!"

"W-What note?" Sakura asked, face confused. But I would not fall for that.

"I think you know exactly what note I'm talking about," I told her.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Really? The note to Sasuke, asking him to be your Valentine?"

"I never asked Sasuke-kun to be my Valentine! I thought you knew that!"

I stopped and looked her in the eye. It didn't look like she was lying to me. Then I remembered what had first registered in my mind when I looked at the note.

_It wasn't Sakura's handwriting._

I stared at her. "It wasn't you, was it?"

She shook her head, hand on her hip. "Well, of course not!"

"Sakura-chan, I'm sorry!" I said, but she turned away.

"Naruto-kun, it's too late for that. If you can't trust me, then there's really no point us being together! Goodbye," she whispered, walking away from me. I called after her, but it was no use. I was crying to the wind, and eventually I had no choice but to head home, my tears indistinguishable from the droplets of rain on my face.

I wasn't able to sleep. I tossed and turned, but it was no use. I got up and prowled around the house. I eventually fixed myself some ramen, but it tasted like sadness and tears. I practised my techniques, but I couldn't concentrate. Eventually, I cried myself to sleep. My mind was flooded with images of Sakura's face, the kiss, how it felt to be wanted by someone for once. To my surprise, I didn't wake up once.

I opened my eyes to the first rays of sunlight spilling through my curtains. I got dressed and ready in a daze, and it was only when I exited the house that I was met with a problem. How was I going to face Sakura today?

Kiba was waiting for me at the gates with Neji. They both bumped fists with me, and we raced each other to homeroom. My heart wasn't in it, and I arrived at least five seconds behind the others. Kiba looked at me questioningly.

"Hey, man, you okay?" he asked. Neji turned back to look at me. I gave them both a thumbs up, and mock punched Kiba's shoulder.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired."

"Uh-huh…up late with the girls again, huh?" Kiba teased. I swallowed, because that was WAY too close to the truth.

"Something like that…" I replied, trying to keep my voice level. "C'mon, let's go inside."

We crossed the corridor to homeroom, and were just about to enter when Sakura came bursting out of the door, holding up a piece of pink paper with lines of handwriting. It was embellished with hearts and stars, and had the name Sasuke in Ino's swirly handwriting. She froze when she saw me, but soon regained her composure. She plastered a bright smile onto her face.

"Good morning, Kiba-kun, Neji-kun!" she said, waving as she ran past us. Ino ran out a second later, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Sakura-chan! Give it back!" Ino screeched, shoving past us and almost knocking Kiba and me flying. Neji smartly moved out of her way, and we watched as she skidded around the corner after Sakura.

"Ino looks pissed," Neji muttered. Kiba wasn't interested in Ino's temper this morning. He looked at me questioningly, raising his eyebrows.

"What?" I said. It came out a little harsher than I had intended.

"Sakura totally blanked you, dude." Kiba and Neji exchanged looks.

"Maybe she didn't see me," I replied, although I'd been in clear view, and I knew it. And so did Kiba and Neji, but they decided not to press the matter further. Good choice. We walked in silence through the door and took our usual seats. Shikamaru gave me a lazy wave, and Shino nodded. I forced a smile and sat down.

Sasuke seemed to be hiding a smirk, so I turned towards him. "What the hell is your problem, Sasuke?" I asked. He looked at me. His black eyes had an evil glint, and quite frankly, it would have scared the hell out of me any other day. Today, however, I just stared him out, and to my surprise and satisfaction, he was the first to look away.

"I saw Sakura blank you. What did you do, man?"

"None of your business."

"Uh-huh. You sure you didn't say something to her to piss her off?"

"Sasuke, do you want me to punch you or something?" I said, getting to my feet and walking round the other side of the desk to face him. He leaned back in his seat, obviously enjoying it.

"I'd like to see you try, fox boy." Fox boy is Sasuke's official, annoying nickname for me. It fuelled my anger, and I felt my hands clench into fists. I raised one and pulled it back, ready to teach Sasuke a lesson. As I looked at him, I caught a flash of something moving in the corner of my eye. I looked up to see Hinata standing up behind her desk. Her hands were covering her mouth, and her eyes were closed in concentration. I heard a voice in my head.

"Don't do it, Naruto-kun. He's not worth it," the voice whispered. It was soothing and sweet, and I recognised it as Hinata's voice. Like her hands on my face had, the voice calmed me, and I unclenched my fists. Sasuke smirked, but where it should have made me snap, it didn't. I just gave him my best smile and went back to my seat. I heard Hinata sit down behind me, and I looked over my shoulder at her.

She had opened her eyes, and she nodded, blushing. I gave her a smile, and winked. It may have been a little too flirty for my liking, but hey, who cares? If Kiba was right, and Hinata really did like me, then it can't have been too bad, right?

_But, do you like her? _the small, sane part of my brain whispered. I thought about that. I'd loved Sakura for years, since we were kids, but she'd never love me. I'd seen the note to prove it. Hinata, on the other hand, had been there to calm me, to soothe the raging beast inside of me. She'd made me feel whole.

_Yes, _I thought, silencing the voice in my head._ I think, maybe I do._

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_**Ooh, scandal, huh? Hoped you like this one. Once again, thanks to xRinnyKagaminex - for just being plain awesome. Hopefully I'll get more chapters up soon. Thanks for the reviews last time. I'm glad to see some people liked it, and I got some great advice from the people that have reviewed so far. Thanks especially to xRinnyKagaminex (again xD), KantonKageX and Solvdrage for the awesome advice, and Mizouji, for the advice from experience. And thanks to the peeps that are reading etc. There would be seriously no point writing these things without people to read them, so thankies. Well, buh bai for now :3**_

_**BTW: I honestly thought Sasuke needed to be punched in the face, but dw, there will PROBABLY be more violence later in the story. Love y'all :]**_


	3. Confusion For Naruto

_**Put your pants on, people, I am BACK! Just kidding. But seriously, Em. Put your pants back on. ANYWAY, welcome to Chapter 3 of my NaruSaku story, Indecisive. I hope you liked the last two chapters. I know my word count went a LONG way down on the second chapter, but with Rock Lee as my witness I swear I WILL (try to) get over 2000 words into this chapter…enjoy! Rated K+ - T for language etc. :3**_

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_**~Chapter Three: Confusion For Naruto~**_

The day went by in a blur once again, but unlike the previous one, it was a happy blur. One that relaxed me. That was partly because of Hinata. In each class, I could feel her eyes on my back from time to time, and it felt good. I tried to ignore Sakura, and to my surprise, it became easier as the day progressed.

When the last bell rang, I waited for everyone to leave. I told Kiba and Neji to wait for me outside, and they nodded and followed the crowd of students out of the door. Sakura walked down the steps with Tenten, who seemed to have completely forgotten the events of the previous evening. Ino walked on Tenten's other side, and she was unnaturally quiet, which was a good thing, I guess.

Hinata suddenly appeared between Tenten and Sakura and all three linked arms. Ino raised her eyebrows. She took a few steps, then looked over her shoulder at Tenten.

"C'mon, Tenten," Ino said, but Tenten didn't move. Instead, she looked Ino in the eye, and shook her head.

"No," Tenten replied.

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean no, Ino! I've had enough of you ordering me around! I'm not your slave!"

Ino gasped and stepped back. "I…"

"This is exactly what I'm talking about. It's always 'I', isn't it? It always has to be about you, doesn't it? Well, I've had ENOUGH!" Tenten screeched. Ino stared at her, mouth open. She swallowed and closed it.

"Fine," she said. "I get it. Thanks, Tenten." Tenten carried on staring right back at her, chin up, and Ino was the first to look away.

"You just watch. Tomorrow, you'll be following me around like a little puppy. You'll see, Tenten. You just wait. But then you'll be too late, because I've moved on. You're so clingy, Tenten! I'm just sorry it's taken me this long to realise what a complete LOSER you really are." She paused, looking at Sakura and Hinata, whose faces were furious, then at me. I can't really describe my expression, but I think it was halfway between shocked and amused.

"As for you, Naruto-kun," she hissed. "Sakura-chan isn't interested in you! And she never will be, so stop following her around! Jeez, stalker much?" Her words stung like a slap, and I stepped back as if she'd actually hit me. I looked at Sakura, who looked just as shocked as I must have, and at Hinata, who literally looked like she was being held back by Tenten. My eyes widened. She looked seriously pissed off at Ino. I could almost see the fire in her pearl-coloured eyes. Wow.

"Ino-chan, I'm gonna tell you something I probably should have told you weeks ago. You are not the queen. You are not our owner or our master or our mother, and you do NOT have the right to tell us what to do. You do not have the right to order Tenten around or to talk about Sakura-chan behind her back. And you do NOT have the right to say things like that to Naruto-kun. If you say something like that to him again, if you even TRY, I will kill you. I mean it, Ino-chan. Walk away, now, or I will not be held responsible for my actions if you don't."

My eyes widened to the side of bowling balls. That was probably the most I've ever heard Hinata say, and from the expressions on their faces, Sakura, Tenten and Ino must have thought the same. Hinata's whole body seemed to be trembling, and it almost looked like Sakura and Tenten were holding her up. Ino stormed out, her long blonde hair flying out behind her. Sakura and Tenten both looked at Hinata.

"Oh, my God, Hina-chan!" Tenten cried in delight.

"You sure showed her," Sakura added. Hinata blushed and nodded.

"I-I didn't mean to say all that to her," she whispered.

"Nah, she deserved it!" Tenten assured her, and Sakura nodded eagerly.

"Hey, we're going to the ice cream store, and I think the boys are planning to meet us there. Do you wanna come, Hina-chan?" Tenten asked. This surprised me. Kiba and Neji didn't mention going anywhere this evening. Maybe they weren't going. Maybe it was boys from another class, or…

_Or maybe they were planning to go without you, _the supposedly sane part of my brain told me. It was starting to get on my nerves, actually. But I wondered if they really did plan to go without me…

"Um, sure. I don't think I have anything to do tonight. I just need to tell my folks where I'm going. They're so strict," Hinata replied, rolling her eyes. Sakura and Tenten giggled.

"I know exactly how you feel!" Sakura said, and Tenten nodded in agreement.

"We'll meet you there, then, Hina-chan. You know where it is, right?"

Hinata nodded. "See you in ten, Hina-chan!" the girls chorused, and exited the classroom. Hinata hung back. She didn't seem to be looking for her phone at all. In fact, she was looking right at me. And smiling. Scary. No, not scary. Dangerous, maybe even thrilling. I liked the way she looked at me. It made me feel better. Safe, loved, wanted.

"Naruto-kun, can I talk to you, please?" she asked.

"Sure. In fact, I was about to ask you exactly the same question."

"Oh? Um, okay…you go first."

"No, after you," I replied, partly because what I was about to say might not be as important as what she was, and partly because I had no idea what I was going to say to her. I suddenly felt awkward, and when I felt my cheek I found that it was burning.

"Um…well…I…uh…no, I really can't think of how to say this, Naruto-kun. Please, go first. I'm a little embarrassed."

I took in a deep breath. "Okay, Hina-chan, I'll go first." Here goes. Don't mess it up, Naruto. "Well, Hina-chan, it's about Sakura-chan…and you, I guess. I've always liked Sakura-chan. I thought she was beautiful. I have done ever since I was young. But she's never liked me. I know that now…so…"

Hinata looked at me, and I had to try hard to resist the urge to take her in my arms and kiss her, right there, right then.

"I think I love you, Hina-chan. You're beautiful, you're kind, you've been there for me. I'm sorry I've been ignoring you all these years," I told her, watching as her eyes lit up.

"Naruto-kun, I-I think I love you too," she whispered to me. I'm not sure quite how it happened, but we both reached out our arms at the same time and stepped forward. The hug was warm and soft, and the kiss that followed was sweet and intense. I wanted that kiss to last forever, but of course, it couldn't. We broke apart, gasping for air, and looked deep into each other's eyes. I felt like I could see right into Hinata's soul, and I smiled at her. She smiled back, her pretty eyes glowing.

"Hina-chan…I meant to ask you, but I guess I got carried away…Hina-chan, would you…would you go out with me?" I asked. She sighed happily.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. I will," she murmured, her voice like a song in my ear. I leaned in for another kiss, but Hinata suddenly looked past me.

I followed her gaze to the door, where I heard a sob from the other side. I let go of Hinata and walked over to the door. I opened it, but there was no one there. I looked around, and heard another noise down the corridor to my left, just in time to see a flash of pink hair as the main door to the school closed.

_Crap._

_**~Hinata Hyuga's POV~**_

Trust Sakura to ruin the moment. I knew as soon as Naruto and I broke apart that someone was watching her. I looked over his shoulder to see a quick flash of pink hair as Sakura slumped down on the other side of the door. Naruto let go of me and went over. Damn it.

It wasn't as bad as I thought it was, though. Naruto, convinced that there was no one there, came back through the door, shrugging. "Must've been the wind or something," he told me, leaning in for another kiss.

It's all working out just as the boy in the hood promised. Naruto and I are together, and I'm convinced he loves me. I hate having to deceive him like this, though. Still, the boy in the hood told me it would get her out of the picture so that Naruto and I could be together like I wanted.

I just wish it didn't have to be like this.

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_**More scandal, huh? Jeez, Naruto just cannot get It right…OR CAN HE? -evil laugh- Uh…wow. Okay, so I KNOW there's less than 2000 words in this (sorry Rock Lee T.T) BUT FEAR NOT, for there will be many more chapters (hopefully), I think. It all depends on whether certain people, NO NAMES MENTIONED (cough cough Em) contaminates me with the dreaded writers block…but anyway, I'll try to get up another chapter by the end of this week at least, possibly more. And all you NaruSaku and NaruHina fans, please don't individually come torch my house, as there is still a LOT of story to go through, and it pretty much turns out happy for all (or at least MOST) of the characters..**_

_**As most of y'all know, I used to be a NaruSaku fan, but you'll (probably) be pleased to know that I am now Team Switzerland and/or Team Neutral - YAY :D**_

_**(BTW, that hopefully means that I am not hunted down and murdered brutally by the NaruSaku and/or NaruHina fans - fingers crossed. Ciao, peeps! :3)**_


	4. Crazy In Love?

_**Why, hello there, beautiful people! How've you been since I last updated?**_

_**Random Person: We love you, xRuiChibax!**_

_***waves* I love you too, random citizen :D Okay, Megamind reference over, let's get on with it. There's been a LOT of scandal recently, huh? And with that Hinata paragraph at the end, I've got a lot of suspense to conclude…who is this mysterious boy in the hood, and what is Hinata really planning? There's only one way to find out, FIG- what? This isn't Harry Hill's TV Burp? Aw.**_

_**Well, anyway, I hope you enjoy Chapter 4. Once again, a shout out to Em, aka xRinnyKagaminex, for being awesome, as usual. I'd like to present her with a cookie, and one of her favourite bacon-flavoured Oreo cookies. Much luff, buh bai my lovelies :D**_

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_**~Chapter Four: Crazy In Love?~**_

_**Hinata's POV**_

Naruto and I walked down to the ice cream place hand in hand. Kiba and Neji had been waiting for Naruto to come out, and when Kiba saw our clasped hands, he looked at me and nudged Naruto, grinning, but Naruto didn't seem to be bothered by it. Even Neji cracked a smile, and soon everyone was laughing, even me.

When we eventually got to the store, I saw Tenten and Sakura sitting across from each other at one end of a long table. All the boys had already filled in most of the seats, and after Kiba and Neji had bagged theirs, the only empty spaces were next to Tenten on one side, and next to Sakura on the other. Sakura's eyes were a little red, but when she saw me she gave me a bright smile and waved.

"Hey, Hina-chan! We saved you a seat!" Sakura called, and Tenten turned to us and grinned. I glanced at the Naruto, and then at the boys, who were engaged in some sort of conversation about sports or something.

"Naruto-kun, you're welcome to sit down too," Tenten said, and I swear I saw Sakura flinch. Actually FLINCH, like Naruto had tried to hit her or something. He glanced at Kiba and Neji, who nodded encouragingly.

"Thanks, Tenten." Naruto took the seat next to Tenten. Smart boy, from the look on Sakura's face. I smiled and sat down beside her.

Suddenly, Kiba stood up on his chair and let out a whoop, making me jump. "Can I have your attention please, people?" he shouted. Immediately all eyes darted to him, and the table fell silent. Kiba's eyes met with Naruto's, and when he saw Kiba's cheeky grin, he shook his head slowly, mouthing _no, no, no!_ What on earth could Kiba be about to say?

"I just wanna say, that we have a couple in the house tonight!" Kiba yelled, and there was a few whoops and wolf whistles around the crowded table.

"Who is it, Kiba-kun?" asked Tenten and Lee at the same time. They looked at each other and Tenten blushed. Lee smiled at her, and it was sweet. It looks like there'll be another couple in the house soon.

Kiba smiled mischievously. "It's Naruto and Hinata!"

The whole table fell silent. Slowly, all heads turned to us. I felt myself blushing, but unlike before, I felt completely in control of myself, which is more than I can say for Sakura, who got up, shaking. Her chair made a scraping sound as she pushed it back, and she turned and walked outside. As she went, she grabbed a knife from one of the tables.

"Hina-chan, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked over her shoulder. Tenten gasped and covered her mouth, and Naruto stood up and put himself between me and Sakura.

"Naruto-kun, it's okay. She won't hurt me. You know that," I whispered in his ear. He looked at me, his eyes full of love and concern and worry. I kissed him gently, and put my hand on his cheek. He put his hand over mine, holding it there, and leant into my palm. He half smiled, then let me go.

"Be careful, Hina-chan. You scare me," he whispered, and I laughed, but his face was completely serious. He took off his jacket and settled it around my shoulders.

"It's cold out there," he said. "I don't want you getting sick."

"I'll be fine," I told him. "Thank you for the jacket." He nodded and stepped aside, eyeing Sakura suspiciously. I followed her outside. The cold air hit me like a slap, and I shivered in Naruto's jacket.

Sakura walked down a narrow alley, then turned to look at me. There was a crazy look in her eyes, and she twirled the knife in her fingers.

"I needed to get you here alone, away from Naruto." Sakura smiled, and my eyes widened as she walked towards me with the knife. There was a crazy glint in her green eyes, and I knew I had to get out of here, fast. I tried to back away, but I soon felt the cold, hard wall behind me. I tried to scream, but no sound would come out. Sakura smiled again, but there were tears streaming down her pale face.

And then she plunged the knife into her own body. I watched as blood began to trickle through her fingers and make a pool on the floor. She dropped the knife and fell to her knees, the colour fading from her cheeks. I reached out my hands to steady her, but before I could get to her, she collapsed on her back, her breathing faint and shallow.

Suddenly, she let out a broken scream of agony, and within seconds the boys were outside, Tenten running close behind. They froze when they saw Sakura on the ground, and Tenten gasped and dropped on her knees. Lee knelt down beside her and put his arms around her, rocking her gently. She leant into him, sobbing.

Naruto shoved past the other boys and came to a stop beside me, staring at Sakura. His blue eyes welled up with tears, and he wiped them away furiously. He fell to his knees beside her, and cradled her body to his chest. A trickle of blood leaked from Sakura's mouth, and it mixed with the tears still running down her cheek. Naruto, closed his eyes for a minute, and hugged Sakura close.

"Sakura-chan…" he whispered helplessly.

_Oh, crap._

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_**Well, I'm just loving the cliff hangers, huh? More suspense, and FINALLY a Sakura and Hinata scene. I guess I had to get a little violence/danger, so Sakura getting stabbed was my choice, BWAHAHA- *cough* Sorry, folks. Yeah, so review and stuff. I'll try to upload a new chapter soon.**_

_**Well, now for the sad news. I've broken my promise to Rock Lee T.T - unfortunately I think I'm gonna scrap the 2000+ words rule, as for the past few chapters I…uh…haven't. Sorry, Lee.**_

_**ANYWAY, hope to get new chapters up soon, etc. etc. Another shout out to Em for being awesome, etc. etc. Thanks to all the people who have followed, reviewed, favourited and viewed and stuff. Love y'all :3**_


	5. The End?

_**Well, xRuiChibax is BACK in the building. -whacks head off doorframe- Ow! Who put that door there? EM, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU WITH BRUTAL FORCE. -looks at audience and laughs nervously- Hehe, kidding, folks. -pats Em's head-**_

_**Anyways, you know the drill by now, but THIS TIME, I am adding a disclaimer notice. I just thought it was necessary in the present situation.**_

_**ONCE AGAIN, hai to xRinnyKagaminex for…you know the drill. So, without further ado, ON WITH CHAPTER 5, and the (hopefully) long awaited continuation of the knife scene. I don't think anyone saw that one coming (I asked Em, and she didn't see it coming, so, success :3), so yanoe :D**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything. The guy who does is a genius, and probably really rich. I am (probably) neither of these things, so there you go :D**_

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_**~Chapter Five: Hinata's Confession~**_

_**Naruto's POV**_

I knew when I heard Hinata's scream that something was desperately wrong. I stood up beside Kiba and Neji, and we ran outside with the others. I swore to myself that if Sakura had done anything to Hinata, anything at all, she would regret it. I stopped and thought about what I had just said. Of course I couldn't hurt Sakura. Hadn't I vowed that just yesterday?

Kiba turned back to me. "Hey, man, you okay?" he asked. I nodded and followed him out of the door. We almost crashed into Shika and Shino, because the whole group had stopped a few feet from the door.

"What's happened?" Kiba whispered, but Shika's eyes were fixed on somewhere in front of him. Kiba stood on his toes to get a better look, but I shoved through the crowd. Tenten and Lee where kneeling on the floor, and Lee had his arms around her. She was shaking violently, her hand over her mouth. I followed her gaze, and that's when I saw Sakura, lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

I searched for Hinata, who was slumped against the wall. She looked just as shaken as Tenten, and I wanted to go to her and put my arms around her as Lee had with Tenten, but my eyes darted back to Sakura's body. She looked so pale, and there was a fresh bloodstain on her shirt around her chest. No way…

Had Hinata done this? Stabbed Sakura? No. Why would Sakura have picked up the knife in the first place if Hinata was going to stab her? But then, that must mean that…no. God, no…

I realised that there were tears in my eyes, and I rubbed them furiously as they began to blur my vision. I ran to Sakura and pulled her body onto my lap, hugging her close. She was conscious, but from the look on her face she was in a lot of pain. Every now and again she would let out a whimper.

"Sakura-chan…" I murmured, and she managed a weak smile, which was followed by a wince and another whimper. I looked down at the blood. God, there was so much…why would Sakura do this to herself?

Then I got it.

"No," I whispered. Then, louder. "NO!"

Kiba stepped forward and put his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, man. Cool it. Shouting's not gonna help."

"The hell it isn't! Don't you get it? It's my fucking fault!" My voice echoed around the alley, and Kiba flinched and took his hand off my shoulder. I couldn't stop the tears running down my face, and I closed my eyes tight.

"Hey," a calm voice beside me whispered, and I opened my eyes to see Neji kneeling beside me.

"I know Kiba can be an ass sometimes, but he's right. Shouting isn't going to help Sakura. If anything, it'll stress her out and cause her more pain. You don't want that, right?" Typical Neji. I didn't wanna admit it, but he was right. I nodded once, and Neji stood up and went back to the crowd, where noise was beginning to build.

"Hey!" Neji yelled, and immediately there was silence. "If you've not got anything to help this situation, go away! We got a serious problem here, and we don't need you guys in the way." Everyone looked at him, and despite my distress, I had to smile. No one argued with Neji. Gradually, the crowd split, and eventually only Chouji, Shika, Neji, Shino, Kiba and Hinata were left. Lee helped Tenten to her feet.

"I'm gonna walk Tenten home, guys. I'll see you tomorrow." Lee said. He turned to me. "I'm sorry, man." I nodded.

"Thanks, Lee." He bowed his head in silent prayer for Sakura for a moment or two, then took Tenten's hand.

"Wait," Tenten said, walking over to Sakura and me slowly. She knelt down by Sakura, and placed a hand on her forehead. She whispered something that I couldn't hear, but I think was a prayer of some sort, then smiled at me, looking unusually young and scared. Then she stood up and took Lee's hand, and he led her out of the alley and down the road.

Shino nodded to me and left, followed by Chouji. Shika came over, and unexpectedly hugged me. "She'll be okay, Naruto. Trust me," he told me. Then he left too.

Kiba looked at Neji, and when he nodded, he came to kneel by me again. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to upset you like that. I'm sure she'll be okay."

I reached up and hugged him, too, which took him by surprise a little. He hugged me back. "No worries, Kiba."

Neji nodded to me again, and he and Kiba left. Hinata seemed to be frozen where she was by the wall, but eventually she came over to kneel by me. Sakura suddenly coughed, and my eyes darted down to her. She looked worse, and there was no way I could stop the blood flowing.

Hinata reached into her bag and pulled out some white clean cloth and towels. Gently, she pressed one towel to the wound. Sakura, too weak to protest, lay there with her teeth clenched, desperately trying not to cry. It broke my heart all over again to see her lying there, so helpless. When I touched her face, it was freezing. Hinata took off the jacket I'd given to her and rested it over Sakura.

"Unless we get her medical help soon, there's no way we can help her." Hinata looked down at Sakura, and her eyes seemed to be full of…regret? "Don't let her sleep."

Sakura let out a sound like a wounded animal, and I wanted to scream and shout, but I knew that wouldn't do any good. I hushed her like I would with a little kid, and shifted her up into a sitting position. Her head rested in the hollow of my neck, and I stood up, supporting her weight. I looked at Hinata, miming carrying Sakura on my back, and she hesitated, then nodded. I shifted Sakura's weight onto my back. Her arms rested around my neck, and I supported her legs. Her head was on my shoulder.

"We must hurry, Naruto-kun. She may not have long left," Hinata said, and I nodded. We walked out of the alley and down the street. Sakura's head began to droop, and her eyes closed halfway.

"Hey," I said, and her head jerked and she looked at me. "Don't go to sleep. Stay awake. Stay with me, Sakura-chan." She mumbled something and nodded.

"Okay," she whispered. "Tired."

"I know, but don't go to sleep. Don't leave me, you hear? Ever."

She eventually nodded. Hinata walked a few steps ahead, looking for some sort of doctor. Sakura sighed.

"Why did you help me, Naruto-kun?" she asked. "I thought you hated me because of the note or something."

"That wasn't you. I know it wasn't. I don't know who it was, but it wasn't you."

Sakura stared at my face for a few minutes, before looking down. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I didn't mean any of those things I said."

"Why did you try to kill yourself, Sakura-chan?" I asked, and she closed her eyes.

"I thought you'd be better off if I wasn't there. You had Hinata. You didn't need me, did you?" she replied.

_Yes, I needed you, Sakura-chan. I've loved you since we were young, but I always thought you loved Sasuke. _

I didn't answer her, and she didn't press me. Up ahead, Hinata let out a cry of relief, and ran across the street. I followed her more cautiously, constantly making sure Sakura was still awake. Hinata stopped outside a well lit hospital building. We walked through the door and Hinata motioned for me to sit down with Sakura while she talked to the receptionist, whose brown eyes widened when she heard what had happened. She looked over at Sakura, who was curled up on a squashy blue chair, her head on my shoulder. Her hair brushed my cheek.

The receptionist pressed a button somewhere on the wall, and a man's voice buzzed in through an intercom. The receptionist said something I didn't hear, and the man's voice replied, slightly more alarmed than before. The woman spoke in soothing tones, and pressed a button. Within minutes, three men came in with a stretcher. One came over to us and lifted Sakura up. I tried to stop him taking her away, but Hinata touched my arm and I let go. The man lifted Sakura, breathing hard and crumpled up in pain, onto the stretcher. He said something to the other two, and they wheeled her through a door and down a corridor. I caught the last one by the sleeve.

"What are you gonna do?"

He glanced at me. "Anything we can."

"Will she be okay?"

"Hopefully." And with that, he left. I stared after him. Hinata clung to my arm, but I shook her off. I began to shout and call out for Sakura. Two men came and grabbed my arms, but I fought. Finally, I felt a sharp stab of pain in my arm, and then the world tunnelled into grey, then black. And then…nothing.

_**Sakura's POV**_

I wasn't aware of too much after the moment when I stabbed myself. It was all just flashes and glimpses of things. I was aware of being carried on Naruto's back, and I remember his words to me when he stopped me falling asleep. The next thing I knew, I was on a stretcher, being wheeled through doors by strange men in doctor's uniform. I could hear Naruto calling after me, but his voice sounded distant and echoed. I wanted nothing more than to go to him and tell him that everything was alright, but I couldn't force my body to move. My limbs seemed heavy, like dead weights. The doctor slid a needle into my arm, and almost immediately I felt a soothing sensation spreading through my veins. I began to drift in and out of consciousness, and all I heard was the soft but urgent hum of the doctors' voices.

"We need to help her, fast, or she's not going to make it!" one voice whispered.

"Look at her. She's practically dead," a harsher voice replied, and had I been able to move, I would have slapped him.

"Did you see the blonde boy outside? I'm no expert, but I think we'd better help her, or he's gonna kill us," a third voice argued, and there was no more sound. My eyes closed as I was led through another door, and then…silence.

_**Naruto's POV**_

Beep. Beep. Beep. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. I groaned and tried to turn over. My bed seemed smaller and uncomfortable, and I reached out to whack the alarm clock into silence. It didn't shut up, so eventually I gave up and covered my ears. I was in a dream, a great dream. Kiba, Neji and I were walking to school, and suddenly Hinata, Sakura and Tenten came up to us, each of them taking one of our arms. The girls looked pretty cute. Tenten was chatting, as usual. Hinata brushed her blue-black hair out of her face, and Sakura…

_Sakura. _I jolted awake, rubbing my eyes. I wasn't in my room at all. I was in one of the blue hospital chairs. Hinata sat beside me, watching me with wary eyes. I didn't smile at her. I didn't have the patience to sit here and wait anymore. I stood up. The damn beeping was still going, but for some reason I knew it was in my head, and I shoved past doctors and walked down the corridor. The beeping got louder and louder, until…

"Naruto-san," a man in doctor's uniform said. I turned to him. "What are you do-"

"Where is Sakura-chan?" I asked, cutting him off. He swallowed.

"She is…sleeping. You cannot see her yet."

"The hell I can't. Please…I need to see her."

The man sighed. He looked at me for a few seconds, then nodded and pushed open a door. I stepped inside, looking around desperately for Sakura. I found her eventually. There were scary tubes sticking out of her, and an uneven pattern of beeping came from a monitor next to her hospital bed. She was unconscious, but when I went over to her, her eyes fluttered open and she focused on me.

"Naruto-kun, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked.

"I needed to see you, Sakura-chan. I didn't mean to wake you," I told her.

"Don't worry about it." She looked down at the tubes in her arms. "Jeez, I hate this stuff."

She laughed, but it looked like it hurt her. I placed my hand on her forehead. They must have been cool, because she relaxed a little.

"I just realised how stupid that sounds. I'm supposed to be in medical training and I hate needles…" her voice trailed off and she whimpered.

"Shh, Sakura-chan. It'll cause you more pain if you make too much effort."

"No, it's not that…it's…" She let out a strangled cry, and I jumped to my feet. The doctor was beside me in a second, and he frantically called over more men. He quickly assessed Sakura, then almost barked a command. I was shoved back, and Sakura was blocked from view. It all moved so fast then, but one sound repeated itself in my head.

Beep. Beep. Wait a minute. Beep. That's not in my head. Beep. Beep. Beep. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.

The doctor stood up and looked at me. The light in his eyes had gone, and when I asked him what was happening, he just…

…shook his head. I froze, my entire body shutting down. I couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

Sakura Haruno was dead, and it was all my fault.

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_**Dear lord, even I didn't see that coming until I wrote it. My fingers seemed to move of their own accord O.o ANYWAY, you'll have to read the next chapters to see what really happened. Thanks again to Em. If you hadn't read and reviewed so awesomely, I probably would have stopped writing already, so thanks ^^**_

_**Anyway, until next time, people :3**_


	6. True Love's Kiss

_**Once again, haidur :3**_

_**I left you on a cliff hanger next time, yeah? Nothing like a good cliff hanger. So, someone died last time, eh? Please don't have cried. I hate making people cry - it makes me cry and then everything's just a mess T.T**_

_**Anyway, don't worry, people. There will HOPEFULLY be a happy ending to this story. Depends on how I end up writing it. Can I just request now that no NaruSaku and/or NaruHina fans come and torch my house? Okai, so Sakura died in the last chapter, and a lot of stuff's happened to her and Hinata, and probably will happen, but if Naruto's that torn, then I gotta conclude it eventually, right?**_

_**Yet another shout out to Em, for being the best friend ever, and continuing to read/review my stories when I was about to throw in the towel and stop writing. I hope more and more people read your stories. If not, assure them that I KNOW where they live (probably). Love you, Em! Enjoy :3**_

_**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah…**_

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_**~Chapter 6: True Love's Kiss?~**_

_**Hinata's POV**_

I knew as soon as I saw Naruto come through the door that it was no good. Sakura was gone. Naruto looked shaken, all the colour drained from his face. He was trembling, and when he looked up at me I saw the flicker of blood red in his blue eyes. I went to him and put my arms around him, but he shook me off.

"Naruto-kun?" I asked.

"Just give me some space, Hina-chan. I can't deal with this right now," he told me, almost growling.

"But-"

"Just leave me alone, okay?!" Naruto yelled in my face. I stepped back.

"Hey, Hina-chan, I'm sorry…I didn't mean…Hina-chan? HINATA!"

I ignored him, running out of the hospital doors before he could catch me. He didn't follow me, and I kept running, all the way home. I ignored my questioning family, shoving past them and running to my room. I threw myself down on the bed and cried.

"Oh, please," a voice behind me said sarcastically. I jumped and turned my head. Sitting on my window sill sat a boy, covered from head to toe in black. A hood shaded most of his face well, and all I could see was his mouth, but I already knew who he was.

"What do you want?" I asked. He looked at me, smirking, but it looked forced.

"We made a deal, Hinata. I got you with Naruto, and you got Sakura to like me."

"I tried my best! She's dead!"

"And still, you cry over Naruto?" he asked sharply. I gasped and stared at him, eyes wide. "Still, you cry over a silly love affair, when someone who was supposed to be your best friend is lying dead in a hospital?"

I closed my eyes and buried my head in my pillow, fists clenched. The boy slid down from the windowsill and came to stand by my bed.

"You promised me you'd get Sakura to love me. You swore."

"I tried my best, okay? Jeez."

"But it's not okay, Hinata. If I can't have Sakura, then you can't have Naruto."

I lifted up my head with a jerk. "W-What?"

"You heard me. Tomorrow, you'll get what's coming to you, and so will he." I whirled to confront him, but he was no longer standing by my bed. I got to my feet, and suddenly I felt a rush of wind to my left. I turned my head slightly, and became aware of him standing behind me. I opened my mouth to scream.

"Shh," he whispered, fingers tracing my neck. "Please remember that I could kill you at any time." He laughed, and my mouth went dry. I couldn't even swallow.

"Please," I choked out. "Please don't hurt Naruto-kun."

"It's too late for that, Hina-chan. You should have thought about all of this."

"How was I to know she was going to stab herself?"

"You weren't."

"Then how-" I was cut off by his piercing laugh. Then he put two fingers in a specific place on my neck and pressed, and the world shifted out of focus as I fell back. He caught me and laid me on the bed again, and as my eyes closed, he slipped out of the window, without another word.

_**Naruto's POV**_

_She's gone. _No, she's not. _Sakura's dead._ Shut up! _I'm just telling you what's true. _Just SHUT UP. _But it's the truth. _I don't CARE, just SHUT UP and leave me ALONE…I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't believe it. Sakura couldn't be dead.

_But she is, and you know it._

I stood there, trembling, and watched as Hinata turned away and walked out of the hospital. My first thought was, _how could she leave me like that?_ That thought was quickly replaced with, _how could I have shouted at her like that?_

The doctor that had let me see Sakura came out a few steps behind me. He placed his hand on my shoulder, and opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't," I told him. "Don't tell me that you're sorry, or that she's in no pain, or that she's in a better place now, because it's all bullshit."

The doctor sighed. He just kept his hand on my shoulder for a few seconds, before removing it and turning to walk to the door.

"Would you like to see her, one last time?" he asked me. I hesitated. Did I really want to see her again, lying there lifeless? Just a shell of the girl she was?

"Yes," I whispered. "Yes, I would."

The doctor studied me for a second, then nodded and held the door open for me. We walked in silence to the room where Sakura was. When I saw her, it was all I could do not to break down and cry. I wanted her back. I needed her back. Why did I never get the things I wanted?

The doctor stood by the door. "I'll leave you alone for a few minutes." With that, he left. There were no other patients in the room, so I just sat beside Sakura's bed, staring at her peaceful face. She could have been sleeping. Her eyes were closed, and there was a tiny smile on her face, as if she was finally in peace. I picked up one of her hands, and kissed it gently. I'd never told her I loved her, and even though I was supposed to be with Hinata, now I never would be able to tell her.

I looked at the monitor, and seriously considered putting my fist through it. I sat in silence for a few seconds. It felt like hours, but eventually, the doctor returned. I stood and looked at Sakura's body for a few seconds more.

A couple of men followed the doctor in. One carried some sort of bag. It was as tall as me, and black. Oh, no. No. I tensed up, but got a quick, sad look from the doctor, and relaxed again. There was no point fighting. I simply bent down to Sakura, closed my eyes and kissed her once on the lips.

"Goodbye, Sakura-chan. I love you," I murmured, and turned to walk out. The doctor suddenly gasped, but I tried to ignore him.

"Naruto-san!" he called after me. "Wait!" He caught up with me eventually. "She…she moved!" he told me, the light in his eyes returning.

"It was probably me."

"No, come look!" He pulled my arm back to the room, and pushed me into view of Sakura's body. She didn't seem to move at all. I looked at the doctor, who shook his head, gesturing to her. I looked back, and I could have sworn I saw her head move a fraction of a centimetre. No, it couldn't have. It was my mind playing tricks. But, it could have happened…

I stepped towards her again, touching her arm. There were no tubes or needles in her now, so I lifted her up gently, cradling her in my arms, and kissed her again, with more urgency this time. It seemed…no…it couldn't be…it seemed as though she was kissing me back, and when I opened my eyes, I found hers staring back at me. They were blank for a few seconds.

"Where am I?" she asked, and I hugged her, hard. "Who are you?"

I stopped, and looked at her. "You don't remember me, Sakura-chan?"

"Should I?" she asked me, eyes wide with confusion and fear. I slowly laid her back down, and she looked around.

"What am I doing here? Who are you?" her voice became frantic.

"Shh, Sakura-chan. It's fine. You're safe. It's me, Naruto."

She blinked at me for a few seconds. "I'm sorry. I don't remember you."

A tear slid down my cheek. She stared at me. I couldn't think of anything to do, so I just leant forward and pressed my lips to hers. When we broke apart, her eyes focused on me. After a few seconds, she smiled and hooked her arms around me. I hugged her back, and we stayed there for a few seconds. The doctor cleared his throat.

"Sakura-san, we must run some tests on how you returned to life! You will be known all over the world!" he cried. Sakura and I froze.

"Oh, hell, no." I said, as the doctor pulled out a camera from his bag in the corner. I picked up Sakura and carried her down the corridor, picking up speed. We heard the doctor calling after us, but I ran until finally we reached the exit. I put Sakura on her feet, studying her as if she might fall again. She didn't, and she took my arm as we walked down the darkened streets.

"So, what did I miss?" she asked me. I shrugged.

"Nothing…Sakura-chan, don't ever do that to me again, okay?"

"I won't." She stayed silent for a minute. "You kissed me."

"Yeah," I replied.

"I thought you were with Hinata."

"I was."

"Was?"

"I think she hates me."

"Why?"

"I shouted at her."

"You did WHAT?" Sakura turned to me and raised her hand. I thought she was going to hit me, but she went a little dizzy and sagged against me. I put my arm around her waist to support her, and she didn't say anything else.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I just thought you two were made for each other, that's all."

I stopped and stared at her. Of course me and Hinata were made for each other. Weren't we? I shrugged and continued walking. When we reached Sakura's house, she turned to me. "I have blood all over my shirt, how the heck do I explain that to my parents?" she asked.

I looked around, then stripped off my jacket and gave it to her. She hesitated, then put it on. "Good night, Sakura-chan," I told her, folding her in another hug.

"Good night, Naruto-kun," she replied. I tilted her head back and kissed her softly. When we broke apart, she smiled at me. A soft, fluttery feeling swept through me, and I watched as Sakura walked into her house, leaving me alone.

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_**Okai, people, who saw that coming? Honestly. Thanks to The Keeper Of Words for reviewing again, and thanks to all who are reading the views are going up pretty fast! I hope this chapter made people happier after Sakura's 'death'. There will be maybe 2 more chapters and POSSIBLY an epilogue which I'll set maybe a few years later. I hoped y'all liked it, thanks again! Enjoy the next chapters :3**_


	7. Answers

_**Well, hello again. It took me a little longer to update due to other commitments taking up my time, but I'm back! I hope the ending of the previous chapter summed up a couple of things, and of course, I couldn't let Sakura die, could I? This is, I think, the penultimate chapter, as I'm coming to the end of this particular NaruSaku story. I hope to write more, including some with my own OCs. But don't worry, this story hasn't neared its conclusion JUST yet, as we still have to find out who this hooded boy is, and what he is plotting, and who actually wrote the letter which set Sakura up! Nothing like a little scandal, huh?**_

_**Thanks AGAIN to Em for continuing to read and offer support, and for generally being awesome. And thanks to all you people who have read my stories, offered advice and reviewed/followed/favourited. I don't mean to sound cheesy, but it means a lot when people appreciate your work. Well, hope you like it ^^**_

_**BTW: Please continue to review etc. I'll award a special cookie to the first person to review :D**_

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_**~Chapter Seven: Answers~**_

_**Sakura's POV**_

My parents were sitting watching TV when I came in. I tried to sneak past them, but thanks to my dad having ears like a bat, I didn't get far.

"Hey, kid." I froze when I heard my dad's cheerful voice.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hi, Sakura," my mother's equally happy voice called.

"Good evening, Mom."

"Did you have a nice evening with your friends?" my mom asked, turning towards me. Then she froze. Oops, could she still see the blood?

"What is it, Kagami?" my dad asked my mother, getting up. He looked at me as well.

"Sakura! I've never seen you with that jacket before, and you certainly didn't have it when you went out this morning. Where did you get it?" my mother asked. I think she was worried I'd stolen it or something.

"Mom, Dad, it's fine! Naruto gave it to me. You know Naruto, that boy from school?"

My mom relaxed a little. "Naruto Uzumaki? Yes, we remember him. I always thought he was such a nice young boy."

"Is this the same Naruto that you've had a crush on since you first saw him?" my father teased, and I went bright red.

"Dad!"

"I'll take that as a yes, then."

"Hush, Naoto. Sakura, why did Naruto give his jacket to you?" my mother questioned.

"It was cold outside, and I was shivering, so Naruto let me wear his jacket. I'll give it back tomorrow, I promise, Mom."

"Okay, sweetie. You look tired."

"I am," I replied, and Mom laughed.

"Go on up to bed. I'll bring you a mug of tea and a little food if you want."

I nodded, and went to hug them both. "Thanks, Mom, Dad. Love you!"

"Love you, too, kiddo." my dad whispered. My mother kissed my forehead, and I ran up the stairs to my room. I was about to enter when I caught sight of myself in the mirror. I looked a little shaken, so I decided a shower was the best thing to do.

I gasped when I saw myself without my clothes in the full length mirror in the bathroom. There was a LOT of blood all over, but when I'd gently and cautiously washed it off, I found that there was barely a scar where I'd stabbed myself. The doctors had done a good job, for sure. The hot water relaxed me, and when I got out, slipped into my dressing gown and picked up my crumpled clothes, I was drowsy. I somehow managed to get to my room, slip into my pyjamas and crawl into bed before I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

_**Naruto's POV**_

When I got to homeroom, I was overjoyed to see Sakura as bubbly and bouncy as she'd been before all this had happened. I went to take my seat beside her, but I was stopped.

"No, Naruto. Today I'm moving you all around for a test. You can sit here, next to Hinata, alright?" Iruka-sensei told me. I sighed and nodded. He led me to the back of the room and pulled out the seat beside Hinata. She shuffled away slightly as I sat, and I rolled my eyes. I couldn't help feeling hurt inside, though. Just yesterday, Hinata and I were going out. We were happy, we loved each other. Today she wasn't speaking to me at all, and it pissed me off and made me feel sad.

The papers were handed out and the test began. Crap. I remembered I hadn't revised like I was supposed to. Luckily, the questions were pretty easy, and I didn't have to miss too many out. I gave into temptation and snuck a glance at Hinata's test paper. Her answers didn't look that different to mine, but that wasn't what caught my eye. I'd seen that handwriting before, but where?

Then I got it. I'd seen the handwriting before, sure, but only now did I realise where. But…it couldn't be. No way…

Hinata Hyuga had written the note.

_**Hinata's POV**_

I hated Iruka-sensei. Why? He'd only gone and stuck Naruto next to me for the test. Me of all people! It's not like I hate Naruto. No, it's completely the opposite…isn't it? Oh, why can't I decide what I feel anymore?

It's because of what the hooded boy told me the previous night. I knew it was dangerous to be with Naruto at any time. We'd made an agreement, the hooded boy and I. Part of it was that he could find me, anytime, anywhere. This was because I'd given him a little of my blood, and now he could track me down. I didn't know how it worked. I just knew that it did work, and it would be very dangerous for Naruto.

Luckily, the test was done in complete and utter silence, and focusing on the questions helped put the situation I was in out of my mind. At least, until I felt Naruto's blue eyes watching me. Or rather, looking at my test answers. Cheat. I rolled my eyes, but decided not to do anything. After all, I wasn't sure I'd got everything right, anyway.

It was only when I felt him tense up beside me that I started to get worried. He didn't say anything to me, but his body language in general told me that something was wrong.

I was relieved when Iruka-sensei announced the end of the test and dismissed us. I gathered up my things. By the time I stood up, adjusting my backpack on my shoulders, everyone, even Iruka-sensei, was already gone. I walked towards the door and was about to go through it when Naruto's hand slammed against the doorframe, blocking my path.

"Naruto-kun?" I asked.

"Why did you do it, Hina-chan?" he asked, face hard, eyes cold. Somehow, he still managed to look like an angel.

"D-do what?"

"I think you know what. How much of this did you plan?"

"Naruto-kun…" I started to say. Then I stopped in my tracks. Wait…was he…no, how could he have found out about it?

The test paper. Oh…crap.

"Naruto-kun, I'm sorry. You don't und-"

"Don't tell me I don't understand! Your stupidity and selfishness almost got Sakura killed! Why? I thought you really loved me."

"Dammit, I do love you, Naruto-kun!"

"Sure you do. Just stay away from me, Hina-chan. And Sakura. It's over!" he yelled. I stared into his eyes for a few seconds, but they were expressionless. Eventually, he removed his hand and shoved past me, out the door. I wanted to call after him. To go to him and make everything okay. But I couldn't. I was frozen to the spot, and I could do nothing but watch as the boy I loved walked away, taking the light with him.

_**Naruto POV**_

I couldn't stop the tears from falling down my face. I couldn't believe she'd betrayed me this way. I couldn't believe that Hinata, my Hinata, had been the cause of all this. But she was, and I was just one of the people she'd used.

I walked along the street, hands in my pockets, trying to think of what to do now.

"Naruto-kun!" a girl's voice called. I didn't stop. "Naruto-kun, wait up!" Footsteps got louder until the girl caught up with me. I still didn't stop. She jumped in my path, and I saw that it was Sakura.

"Hey! Didn't you hear me?" she asked with a grin.

"I heard you. I just thought you were someone else."

"Oh," she said, her smile faltering. "Did you and Hinata have a fight?"

"Something like that. I found out who wrote the note."

"Really? Who?"

"Hinata."

Sakura stopped, and looked at me. When she saw the look in my eyes, she turned her gaze back to the path and carried on walking. We walked on in silence. After a while, Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek gently.

The ground was suddenly shaken by an ear splitting bang. Sakura screamed, and I looked up to see a dark figure. It was obviously a boy, and they looked about as tall as me. He was carrying some sort of scroll. He laid it on the floor and muttered something. A crack spread across the ground, knocking us off balance. Bits of debris flew around us, and Sakura stepped back and tripped over something. She fell and hit her head on the ground, which knocked her out.

"Sakura-chan!" I cried, rushing to her and kneeling by her side. I lifted up her head and shook her gently. "Sakura-chan, wake up!" She didn't wake, and the hooded boy laughed.

"Poor lover boy," he hissed, and suddenly Sakura disappeared.

"Sakura-chan!" I frantically looked around. Out of nowhere, she reappeared, floating in the air next to the hooded boy, still unconscious. He lifted up his hand, fingers outstretched. Slowly, he closed his hand, and although she didn't wake, Sakura screamed in pain.

"What are you doing?" I shouted, running towards the boy. He laughed and turned his head. Suddenly, I was halted in my tracks. He tightened his fist a little, and Sakura's screams turned to blood-curdling shrieks of pure agony.

"Stop it! Please, just stop! What do you want?"

The hooded boy laughed again. He opened his hand and Sakura's shuddering body dropped to the ground. I wanted to go to her, but I still couldn't move. "I want you dead, Naruto Uzumaki. You have caused the deal to be broken."

"What deal?"

"Hinata Hyuga came to me for help. She loved you even then. Stupid girl. Anyway, she knew I could help her get you to like her. So she promised to do anything I wanted."

"You told her to write that note!"

"Ah, this one's a regular Einstein. Of course I told her to write the note. Dumbass. Hinata promised that in return for me getting you two together, she'd get Sakura to love me, which would only happen if you weren't in the way. When you shouted at her, you caused her to think you hated her. She still loved you, but she was ready to move on with her life. To love another. That was going to be ME! But you ruined EVERYTHING."

Sakura's body disappeared and reappeared beside me, and the hooded boy smiled and released whatever was keeping me from moving. I dropped to my knees beside Sakura and lifted her onto my lap. She was panting, but she looked okay. I looked up at the hooded boy, but instead my gaze was met by a flash of light, which quickly became a ball of fire. It was heading straight for us, and there was nothing I could do. Tick…tock…time seemed to slow, but the fireball was flying too quickly. I couldn't even shove Sakura out of the way. Instead, I lifted her into a sitting position and kissed her again, cradling her to my chest and waiting to die.

I closed my eyes tight as the fireball came closer, but just as it was about to hit us I heard a strangled cry. I looked down at Sakura, who was still unconscious. Then I looked up, and almost fell over as I saw who was standing in front of us. A girl with midnight blue hair and pale eyes that met mine. A girl who was now doubled up in pain and falling to her knees.

Hinata Hyuga.

She fell forward, face first, onto the ground, and I felt the fury taking over, spreading through my veins. I growled and glared at the hooded boy.

"Stupid girl!" he screeched. The wind picked up, and suddenly, a gust blew his hood back from his face, and I realised with a shocked gasp that I was staring into the red eyes of none other than…

…Sasuke Uchiha.

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_**Wow, people. Who saw that one coming? Okai, some people did, but oh, well…it made me so sad to write this, and I'll probably actually cry when I write the next (and final) chapter. Contrary to popular belief, I don't hate Hinata. It just had to happen for this story to conclude, given the way it was going. I just want to thank all my readers up to this point. Your story is coming to a conclusion. **_

_**For all the NaruHina fans, yes, there's a NaruHina scene in the next chapter.**_

_**For the NaruSaku fans, yes, I think you guys know how this is going to end.**_

_**For the lads, yes, there'll be a big fight scene next chapter.**_

_**For the Naruto fans, yes, there will be a nine tailed fox moment.**_

_**And for the girls, yes, it'll all end with true love.**_

_**Please continue to review and read. Without you guys there would be no point writing this stuff. Until next time!**_


	8. The Battle

_**Well, people, I'm sorry to say I lied. The final section is just too long to include in a single chapter, so I am hereby splitting it into two! I hope I didn't leave you on TOO much of a cliff hanger last time.**_

_***random person comes and whispers in my ear***_

_**Oh. Well, I think some people knew who the hooded guy was to start with, but how many of you actually knew who wrote the note? When I first wrote this story, I had no idea it was gonna turn out this way, but oh, well. Muchas gracias (Spanish), vielen Dank (German), merci beaucoup (French), mange takk (Norwegian), muito obrigado (Portuguese), gratias multas (Latin), stort tack (Swedish), otsuka resama (Japanese), maraming salamat (Filipino), and many thanks to…*drum roll*…Emma (x-ChibiRinny-x)! *fanfare*…for…uh…DAMMIT I FORGOT. Damn you multiple languages! Sorry Em :c**_

_**WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, ON WITH THE (SECOND TO) LAST CHAPTER!**_

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_**~Chapter Eight: The Battle~**_

_**Naruto's POV**_

_Breathe, Naruto. Breathe. Calm down. You can't fight Sasuke if you lose control. _I can't fucking stay in control! _Think of Hinata._ I'm listening. _Think of Hinata and Sakura._

Fuck this.

I slowly let the anger seep away, closing my eyes as they went blue again. Sakura had woken up, and she looked at me with huge green eyes. I nodded reassuringly, and her head turned to Hinata's unconscious form. She shifted onto her feet and rushed to Hinata's side in seconds. She turned her over and examined her, gently undoing her jacket and some of the buttons on her shirt.

"Oh, crap." Sakura's voice was worried.

"What? Can you save her?"

"Hopefully." That brought back memories of being in the hospital, when the doctor told me that they would try their best to save Sakura's life.

"Try," my voice wobbled, and I crushed my eyes shut.

"Always," Sakura whispered, and that word gave me strength. I looked up to glare at Sasuke, whose smug face was really pissing me off. He smiled evilly when our eyes met, and nodded.

"Let the battle commence," he said.

"Game on," I hissed.

_**Sakura's POV**_

I stared down at Hinata's still face. It suddenly contorted in pain, and I hastily retrieved a small vial of anaesthetic liquid. I attached the vial to a syringe and gently took Hinata's jacket off. I slid the needle into her bare arm, and almost immediately she relaxed. This would give me a little more time. I looked up to see how Naruto was doing. He and Sasuke were circling each other, snarling.

"Why would you hurt Sakura-chan like that? I thought you loved her?" Naruto hissed.

"You really think I meant that?" Sasuke replied. Naruto froze.

"It was all just to get at me…"

"Hallelujah! He gets it!"

"You BASTARD!"

Sasuke laughed. "Okay, enough talk." He suddenly snapped his fingers. In his hand sparked a ball of what can only be described as…shadows? He effortlessly wound his index finger round and round, and the shadow ball got bigger. Without warning, he flicked his wrist and shot it at Naruto. He managed to dodge, but the shadows caught his ankle, and I heard a crack. Oh, shit.

Naruto was sprawled on the floor, teeth clenched, trying not to look at his broken ankle. I winced at his pain. Sasuke ran, full speed, knife held out. He spun and brought the knife down, aiming for Naruto's heart. At the last moment, Naruto gripped his wrists and twisted, flinging the knife to one side where Sasuke couldn't get it. Naruto pulled his good foot in, then sent Sasuke flying backwards with a kick that must've hurt. Somehow, though, Sasuke rolled backwards once and landed on his feet. How the f-

A huge blast of energy radiated from Naruto on the ground. So much for not letting the anger get the better of you. One by one, his tails began to grow, whipping the ground around them. My hair was blown back from my face, and I shivered. I looked around desperately for someone to call to for help, but there was no one around.

I looked down at Hinata, whose breathing was growing shallow, and probed my brain for some hint of medical information that might help her. I came up blank. Suddenly, I felt someone kneel beside me, and I looked up to see none other than Ino.

"Ino-chan?"

"I'm not completely heartless. Now, are we gonna hug and do the BFF handshake we came up with in second grade or are we gonna save Hinata?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Thank you, Ino-chan." I whispered. She looked at me, and smiled. Then we both looked down at Hinata. We both knew Ino had better medical knowledge than me at the moment, and though we could both pack a good punch, it was clear I had better tactics in battle, especially with weapons.

"Okay," she said without looking up. "I'll see what I can do for Hina-chan. You go help Naruto-kun. Go!"

I nodded and got to my feet. Naruto and Sasuke were both staring at each other. A huge ball of energy hovered between them, fuelled by their powers. Naruto slowly edged the energy ball towards Sasuke, but at the last second, Sasuke slammed his open palm forward. The energy ball ricocheted off his hand and flew into Naruto. He let out a cry of pain and landed on the floor about ten feet back. He didn't move. I dashed towards him, putting up a temporary wall between Sasuke and us. For a few seconds, at least, we'd be protected from his attacks, but I couldn't keep it up for long.

"Naruto-kun!" I screamed, shaking him. He was unconscious, but luckily he was breathing pretty normally. Convinced he'd be okay for now, I dragged him closer to Ino as fast as I could, and rolled him into the recovery position. I then stood up to face Sasuke. He grinned at me. My eyes darted around. Ino had her hands full with Hinata. Naruto was unconscious a few feet away. I was on my own. Just me versus Sasuke.

Let's do this.

_**Ino's POV**_

Quite frankly, we were screwed. Hinata was unconscious, possibly dying. Naruto was lying on the floor a few metres away, so it wasn't like I could count on him to come to the rescue. Sakura was fighting Sasuke. And Sasuke…well, I never thought I'd say this, but Sasuke's a backstabbing bastard. I can't believe he managed to deceive all of us. Well. Actually, I can. Sasuke's smart, I'll give him that.

I applied all the healing techniques I knew to Hinata's wound, but all I did was ease her pain and give her a few more minutes. Come on, Sakura…I looked up. Sasuke and Sakura were a few feet away, circling.

"I'll do you a deal," Sakura hissed. Sasuke straightened up, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. He folded his arms.

"I don't normally make deals, but as I'm going to kill you anyway, I suppose I'll make an exception. I am intrigued enough to want to know what on earth you could possibly want to bargain with," he said.

"No powers. No special techniques. Just weapons. I get the double edged sword. You get the katana." Sakura smiled, and my eyes widened. I must have underestimated her. She's a lot smarter than I thought.

"Hmm…no. I think you have the advantage in that field. Don't forget, I've seen you in weapons training. I think I might have a much more interesting, and fair, idea."

"Go on."

"Hand on hand combat," Sasuke challenged. Sakura hesitated. Don't do it, Sakura…

"Deal," she said. I watched, shocked, as Sakura held out her hand. Sasuke stepped forward and shook it, adding in a low bow. When he wasn't looking, Sakura whirled under his arm and got him in a headlock. Even Sasuke looked surprised.

"Clever girl," he whispered. "But not clever enough." He jerked and threw her over his hip. She landed hard on the floor, knocking the breath out of her. But Sasuke wasn't finished. He yanked her up by the hair, and pushed her onto her knees. He walked around her until he was in front of her. I couldn't see Sakura anymore. Sasuke pulled a long sword from its sheath on his belt, and I bit back a scream. Why wasn't Sakura moving? Why didn't she do anything? Sasuke raised his arm, and I saw Sakura's expression. It was just…blank. Her eyes were full of fear and regret, but she closed them, and her entire face shut down. Her lips moved slowly, but I couldn't tell what she was saying. Sasuke suddenly thrust the sword at Sakura, and I heard a cry, and then…

Silence.

_**Sakura's POV**_

"Naruto, I love you." My lips shaped the words that would probably be my last, and as I closed my eyes, I saw Sasuke's sword coming towards me. So. This is it. This is how I die. No big goodbyes. I just…disappear. I just wish I'd told Naruto how I feel about him.

Faces flash through my mind. Hinata. Ino. Tenten. Kiba. Neji. Lee. Iruka. Shikamaru. Shino. Chouji. My classmates. My parents. My family.

_Naruto Uzumaki._

I couldn't abandon him. I just couldn't. He'd lost so much already. Come on, Sakura. Think. How can you get out of this alive? Then I got an idea. Slowly, so Sasuke wouldn't notice, I quickly retrieved a vial of spare blood from the pouch on my belt. I pretended to slouch slightly, and slipped the vial under my arm. Okay, wait for it…now.

Sasuke's blade shot towards where my heart was, and at the last second, I moved a fraction of an inch. Perfect. I let out a cry to convince him, and let my head droop. Wait for it, wait for it…

Sasuke laughed, and I opened my eyes a crack. Naruto stirred a little, and I silently willed him not to move. Luckily, he didn't.

"You really think you can take me? I am Sasuke Uchiha!" Sasuke yelled, turning away from me. Ino was staring at me, and I opened my eyes for a second. Just long enough to give Ino a wink. She kept her bewildered expression, but returned my wink; just a quick flicker of her eyelid. Sasuke walked around to the back of me.

"Hinata Hyuga and Sakura Haruno are dead," Sasuke said with an evil smile. Naruto stared at him with eyes full of fury. He looked at Hinata, then at me, tears forming. Sasuke laughed. "You hear me? Dead!"

"Not on my watch," I said. Sasuke and Naruto froze. Sasuke stiffened up behind me. Quickly, I slid the sword from under my arm and spun, still on my knees, to face Sasuke.

"Impossible," Sasuke growled.

"Incase you hadn't noticed, Uchiha, I don't do impossible." I said. And with that, I shoved the blade forward. Sasuke tried to say something, but all he could do was make a choking sound as the blade pierced his body. He looked down at the blood spilling from his wound, and fell to his knees so he was level with me. Before I could move, he put two fingers on either side of my head. Oh, crap. This is exactly what I had needed to avoid. During training, Sasuke had picked up a technique somewhere that allowed him to draw energy out of someone with a touch.

Come on, Sakura. React! Do something…

I drifted a little. He was killing me, slowly. My head drooped a little, but suddenly Sasuke's hands were knocked away. I looked up, and saw Naruto, a little blurred and hazy, standing between me and Sasuke.

"Enough!" he yelled. He put his hand on the sword handle and pushed it in further. Sasuke choked again, and fell backwards. He made a pained sound, then was still. Naruto turned back to me, and I gave him the thumbs up. He took my hands and pulled me to my feet. I wobbled a little, and lost my balance, but Naruto darted behind me and caught me before I could fall over.

"I'm fine," I told him, but he kept hold of my arm as I stumbled to Hinata. Ino looked at me, and shook her head.

"I can't do anything to help her!" It looked as if Ino was about to start crying. I put my arm around her and squeezed gently.

"Shh," I whispered. Naruto stood, frozen, staring at Hinata. I sighed. "Can you go get help?" I asked Ino. She nodded, and got to her feet. She stood in front of Naruto.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun." Ino whispered, and suddenly hugged him. He stood, startled, like a statue. Then he hugged her back.

"Thank you, Ino-chan. Maybe you're not quite as much of a bitch as I thought," Naruto replied. Ino pretended to smack him on the arm, but there were tears in her eyes. Then she nodded to me and ran in the direction of the hospital to get help. I looked at Hinata and leant down to check her breathing. I didn't hear anything.

"Well?" Naruto asked. I sat up again and stared at him. His eyes widened, and he knelt down beside me, listening. "Oh, shit. Hina-chan!" he yelled, shaking her shoulders. Then he looked at me, eyes huge.

"CPR?" he asked.

"Got it," I said, letting my medical instinct take over. He moved back as I placed one hand on the other and began to push down on Hinata's chest. One, two, three…Naruto was already ready to breathe into her mouth, and I counted out loud. "One, two…" Hinata's chest rose and fell, but it was just us. She wasn't breathing yet. We repeated the cycle, over and over.

"Come on," Naruto whispered. "Hina-chan, please, wake up." But it was no use. He pushed me gently and began to frantically push down on Hinata's chest. "Come on!"

"Naruto-kun…"

"No, she's not dead. She's not dead!"

"Honey…" I whispered, taking his hands. Tears were flowing freely down his cheeks, and he sagged against me. I held him, rocking him like my dad used to do with me when I was upset. "Shh, shh…"

"Don't cry, Naruto-kun." A voice from beside us whispered. We looked down to see Hinata blinking at us. Naruto gasped.

"Hina-chan…" Naruto murmured, taking one of her hands.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" Hinata whispered, tears filling her own eyes. It broke my heart to see Naruto and Hinata looking so lost.

"Please…" Naruto begged. Hinata smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I'll always be with you, in here." She reached up to place her hand on Naruto's heart. He rested his hand on hers, and tilted his head to kiss it gently.

"I will always love you, Hinata Hyuga."

"And I will always love you. Sakura-chan…take care of him for me." Hinata whispered.

"Yes," I replied. I leaned down and hugged Hinata hard. She hugged me back, and I couldn't help crying. I sat up again, and Hinata looked at Naruto.

"Until next time, Naruto Uzumaki." With that, she smiled. She remained smiling when her eyes went blank and her hand began to fall from Naruto's chest. He gripped it for a moment, then laid it at her side. I gently closed her eyes, and turned to Naruto.

I went to hug him, to comfort him, but he pushed me away. "Don't," he almost growled. I saw him trembling. His eyes closed, and when he opened them they were red and practically burning. He stood and began to walk away. I ran after him and gripped his hand, but he shoved me back with so much force that I landed on my back.

"Sakura…" he whispered, realising what he'd done. I edged away slightly, scared that he might hit me or something. Eventually he shook his head, eyes wide but still red, and ran away into the trees nearby. I looked around and saw Ino running towards me.

"I couldn't find anyone…they wouldn't listen to me-"

"Hinata's dead."

"What?" She looked at Hinata's body. "Oh, no…"

"Naruto ran away. I need to go calm him down before he does anything." Ino and I both looked around, and our eyes rested on a shovel.

"I'll bury her…she deserves to be laid to rest properly," Ino whispered, and I nodded. Then I turned and ran into the forest.

"Naruto-kun!" I screamed. There was no answer. I ran for a few more minutes, calling for him. And then I heard it. The heartbroken howl echoed through the forest, getting louder as I sprinted further.

And then I saw him. He was no longer the boy I knew. I dropped to my knees as I came face to face with a huge creature with glowing eyes and nine swinging tails; the nine tailed fox. The creature that had been sealed inside him for so long.

The dark side of Naruto Uzumaki.

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_**Oh…my…God. Wow. Epic fight scene. That was the hardest chapter to write. I especially hated writing about Hinata's death. I apologise to all the NaruHina fans, and I solemnly swear that I will put a NaruHina story on my fan fiction to-write list. As I said at the start, the next chapter is DEFINITELY the final chapter. I know I said last time that this would be the last one, but as you guys can see, that chapter was just too long (8 pages on Microsoft Word O.O).**_

_**Thanks again to Em (x-ChibiRinny-x) - I'm sorry, it's routine to thank her. So, guys, review, read, favourite, follow, do whatever you lovely people do (EXCEPT torch my house because Hinata died) - I bid you good day! ^^**_


	9. Cue The Ninetails!

_**Why, hello there, dear children. Come hither, and listen. Okay, awkward moment over. How've you all been? I have officially stopped sniffling over Hinata's death in the last chapter, and I HOPE you lot have officially stopped plotting my horrible death. No? Well, worth a try.**_

_**This is…*sniff*…the LAST CHAPTER of NaruSaku - Indecisive…until the epilogue comes out, that is. So, that means the end of this story is near. We've seen happiness and heartbreak, love and laughter, running and racing against time. We've seen it all, and we've still got a whole chapter to read. I hope you guys like it. There will be a little NaruSaku moment in this chapter, but it's quite brief. This chapter might not be as long as the previous one, but who knows? As we've seen in previous chapters, anything can happen. Most of the time, even I don't know exactly what's gonna happen at the end of my chapter xD**_

_**An (almost) final thanks to Emma for reading and reading and reading when no one else would. Thanks, Em, mush luff. Well, people…*sniff*…enjoy!**_

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_**~Final Chapter: Cue The Ninetails!~**_

_**Naruto's POV**_

"Naruto-kun!" A girl's voice called. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember who. And who was this Naruto? Not me…or maybe it is…who knows? Who cares? It doesn't matter who I am. I am a hunter. I am the nine tailed fox. I am a monster. I am everybody and nobody, everything and nothing, everywhere and nowhere. There was a dull pain in my ankle, which slowly faded to nothing as I healed.

My head jerked to the side as a girl with green eyes and pink hair came into view. Those eyes…I knew them from somewhere…I sniffed the air. I recognised her scent, too. Who was she?

"Naruto-kun?" the pink haired girl whispered in horror, leaning against a tree. She was shaking violently, and one of her hands was covering her mouth.

"Naruto-kun, it's me, Sakura!" I froze, staring at her. Sakura…I knew the name well. Dammit! Why the hell can't I remember who she is? The girl, Sakura, began running full pelt towards me. I growled and leant into my defensive crouch. She tripped at the last minute, and just managed to put her hands out in front of her to stop herself doing a face plant on the hard ground. Then she looked straight at me, tears in her eyes.

"Dammit, Naruto-kun!" Sakura yelled. She got to her feet and ran towards me again. Convinced she was on the attack, I spun round, tails flying. One hit her in the stomach and sent her flying. She landed hard on her side about twenty feet away, unconscious. A single tear leaked from her closed eyes.

Then something funny happened. Something changed deep inside of me. I felt a rush of cool swept through me, followed by a wave of nausea. My legs buckled, and I curled up to protect myself. When I looked down, I saw that my tails were slowly disappearing. After a few seconds, there were none left, and I had two legs, and I was wearing clothes. Then EVERYTHING came flooding back, and I jolted up, searching for Sakura.

"Sakura-chan!" I said, running to her. I pulled her up onto my lap and brushed her hair out of her face. She whimpered, her eyes fluttering open. Then she gasped and jerked away. She rolled onto her feet and backed away slightly.

"Naruto-kun…" she said, her voice wobbly and scared.

"Sakura-chan, you know that wasn't me…please, believe me." I begged. Sakura looked me in the eye, eyes wide as saucers.

"Are you s-sure?" she asked, and I nodded slowly. She breathed out and edged closer. I held out my arms, and she fell against me.

"Everything's gonna be alright, Sakura-chan." I told her.

"I'm sorry about Hinata," she whispered.

"Shh," I replied. "Don't worry about it. She's safe now. Everything's gonna be okay."

"I hope so," she murmured, and I rocked her gently. I didn't think it'd be okay. Not at all. But maybe…just maybe…it will be.

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_***closing fanfare* Well, guys, that's it. The end of the story. I know we still have the epilogue to go, but it feels like the end, okay? Gosh xD I hoped you liked reading this story as much as I liked writing it. You guys make it worthwhile.**_

_**I know Naruto went a little weird in the last chapter, and I know it was VERY short, but I think it deserved its own chapter, and I think it was necessary to end it that way. I hope I made everyone happy, including the NaruSaku fans. I love Hinata, and like I said previously, I'll definitely try to write a NaruHina story at some point.**_

_**Thanks to Em, as usual, for being awesome. Well, I don't have much else to say, so, I'll see you next time! :D**_


	10. Epilogue

_**Well, hello, fine people. Kat here. Meow and stuff. ^^ Have you guys missed me since the last chapter? *waits expectantly***_

_***waits more***_

_***burst into tears* Whyyyyyyyyyy? WHY, CRUEL WORLD? I feel so unloved. And, just for that, I am keeping my cookie stash to myself instead of sharing them like I planned. BWAHAHAHAHA. *eats most of the cookies* Nom, nom, nom.**_

_**Anyway, back to business. Well, this is the epilogue, as you've probably guessed. If not…*shakes head sadly*…I am disappointed in you. As you'll see when you read, this story is set maybe five, ten years after the last chapter, when Naruto and Sakura have become adults and done…adulty…stuff…it took me a while to find appropriate names for the new characters in this chapter.**_

_**I'd just like to take a moment to make a few announcements. Firstly, RIP Hinata Hyuga. Secondly…SASUKE'S DEAD - HELLLLLL YEAH. *high fives any random people that I can find* WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO- ahem. Anyway…thanks to Em, again. It's cheesy, but I can't express how awesome you are. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: Do we really have to go through this?**_

_**BTW: The epilogue is in five stages, and set in different stages of Naruto and Sakura's life. Each is separated by a couple of years :D**_

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_**~Epilogue (Part 1)~**_

_**~The Gift: Sakura's POV~**_

I saw Naruto almost immediately when I walked into our house. He was sitting with his back to me, flicking through the channels on the flat screen TV. I walked up behind her and put my arms around his neck. My cheek brushed his hair as he turned his head to me. He kissed me lightly and I snuggled next to him on the sofa.

"Hey, beautiful," he whispered, and kissed my forehead. I smiled at him. He turned off the TV and turned to me, kissing me again. We kissed for a long time, and when we broke apart, we were gasping for air.

The doorbell suddenly rang. Dammit. We didn't move for a second. Eventually, Naruto rolled away and stood up.

"I'd better get that," he said, walking towards the door. I sat where I was for a few seconds. After a while, he returned, one hand in his pocket.

"Who was it?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Just Kiba and Neji. They were gonna get a few drinks and asked me if I wanted to come. I said no," he told me.

"You can go if you want, you know."

"And lose this chance to be alone with you? I don't think so," he whispered. "Oh, I almost forgot. I've got a present for you, Sakura." I raised an eyebrow and he grinned.

"What present?" I asked. He came nearer to me, and I thought he was going to kiss me again, but he stopped a little distance away and crouched down…no…knelt down…on one knee…oh, my God.

"Sakura Haruno…I promise to love you forever…will you marry me?" he asked, pulling a small box from his pocket. Inside was a beautiful ring with a diamond. I gasped, then squealed and threw my arms around his neck.

"Yes, yes, yes!" I said, and he slid the ring onto my finger. Then he tilted my head back and kissed me thoroughly. His lips were soft and I loved the way they just moulded to mine, like we were meant to be together. When we broke apart, he cuddled up next to me on the sofa, and flicked on the TV, skimming through the channels until we found a movie that we both loved, a romantic comedy.

We didn't pay attention to the movie after a few minutes. We kissed and cuddled up, and within half an hour we were both asleep, curled up on the soft sofa, together.

_**~I Do: Naruto's POV**_

Here goes. The big moment. Breathe, just breathe, Naruto. Breathe…okay, good. She'll be here in a minute. Biggest moment of your life, so just…breathe.

I stood in front of the priest, waiting. Waiting for her. Waiting for the moment that would change my life. At this point in life, some people have regrets. Me?

No freakin' way.

I watched the door for a few minutes. Everyone was quietly talking between themselves, but they all fell silent as the door opened, and a pink haired beauty in a long white dress entered. She was clutching a bouquet of blood red roses, and a veil covered her face. Her pretty green eyes shone and glowed, and she was smiling self consciously. Her hand was tucked through her father's arm. They walked down the aisle towards me.

When they reached where I was standing, her father took her hand and placed it in mine. Then he sat down in the front row beside Sakura's mother.

The priest began to speak, and we said our vows. The world seemed to speed up, and before we knew it, it was time to say the binding words. I gently lifted Sakura's veil. Underneath, her face was breathtakingly beautiful. Someone, probably Ino, had applied silver to her eyelids, which really brought out the green in her eyes. They'd also done her hair so it shone and fell in graceful waves just past her shoulders.

She looked amazing, like an angel. And in a few seconds, she'd be my angel.

"I do," she whispered, tears in her eyes. I gently wiped them away, and smiled at her. She smiled back, which just added to her beauty.

"I do," I said, and the priest declared us husband and wife. I cradled her face in my hands, and leant forward and kissed her.

The reception flooded smoothly into the after party, and we were swallowed up by a crowd of people congratulating us. People lined up and hugged us in turn, but we kept hold of each other's hand for the whole time. After everyone had wished us well and the music began to play, I led Sakura to the dance floor.

"I can't dance!" she whispered. I laughed.

"Neither can I. If we're lucky, we can walk in a circle and no one will notice."

She smiled. "I love you," she murmured, resting her head in the hollow of my neck. I put my arms around her waist, and she put hers around my neck, and we began to move round in a small circle.

"I love you too," I told her. I rested my chin on her head. "You don't need all of this stuff, you know. You're beautiful anyway." She smiled again, proving my point, and we spun slowly, holding each other tight, showing no signs of letting go.

_**~Just Married: Sakura's POV~**_

SOLD. That's what the sign outside our new house said. We'd been fine in the other one, but Naruto and I both thought that it was more practical to have a bigger house with more bedrooms.

It was a pretty little house, towards the outside of town, away from all the noise of the city. It had three bedrooms, but was surprisingly cheap. We couldn't really ask for more. The master bedroom was huge, and had a pretty big en suite. The other two bedrooms weren't much smaller. There was a family bathroom, a kitchen and a dining room. There was even a music room with a piano, a guitar, a microphone, and recording equipment. It was perfect.

Naruto picked me up as we walked into the house, and set me down on the huge sofa. We'd been married for three months, but we were still getting into the whole idea of being…well, married. He came and sat down beside me, kissing me lightly, but I couldn't concentrate. I felt sick.

"Sakura, what's wrong? You look pale."

"I-I-" I stuttered. "Excuse me!" I stood up and ran to the bathroom, and was sick in the toilet. Naruto came after me and knocked the bathroom door. I sat frozen where I was, and eventually he just came in.

"Sakura, what is it?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

"Just go away," I groaned. "I'll be fine." I felt dizzy, and slid backwards. Naruto caught me and lifted my head while I composed myself.

"Sakura?!" he whispered, pulling me close to him. We sat there in silence for a second or two, then Naruto stood up. Without warning he pulled me up into his arms and carried me downstairs.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To get you some water, and a doctor."

"Oh," I said, laying my head on his chest. He hummed almost frantically to soothe me, and soon my eyelids drooped. I don't remember much after that.

The doctor smiled as he looked up at me.

"W-Well?" Naruto asked.

"Pregnant," the doctor said. I desperately glanced at Naruto, whose eyes were fixed on the doctor. After a few seconds, his face broke into a huge smile, and he hugged me hard. I blinked in surprise.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," I replied.

"And in 9 months time we'll have a new life to love, huh?"

"Definitely," I murmured, and he kissed me.

_**~Race Against Time: Naruto's POV~**_

I helped Sakura out of the car and carried the shopping bags to the house. I looked back at her with a smile. I looked at her round stomach, at the unseen baby that was due very soon. We'd found out that it was a boy, which we both were happy with. I loved Sakura, and the baby, with all of my heart. We'd decided to name him Shimizu.

Suddenly Sakura stopped, her face contorting in pain. I dropped the bags and ran to her, putting my hands on her shoulders. She tried to smile, but failed.

"What is it? Sakura, do I need to get a doctor?" I asked frantically. She stared past me, green eyes huge and unfocused. "Sakura! Look at me!" I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me.

"Get a doctor," she whispered hoarsely. Then she let out a strangled scream. I stared at her helplessly, trying to figure out what to do. Then it hit me.

"The baby's coming," we both whispered. I grabbed my phone and called the hospital, and within a few minutes, the ambulance arrived. I lifted Sakura in and the nurse, a woman around our age with long blonde hair and pale blue eyes, checked her over. She smiled reassuringly.

"She'll be fine," the nurse told me. Then she stopped and looked at me properly. "Naruto? Naruto Uzumaki!" she cried, a grin spreading across her face. I stared at her as the realisation sunk in.

"Ino, what the hell?" I asked. We let out a nervous laugh.

"Uh, guys?" Sakura's voice whispered. "In labour over here!" I looked down at her, stroking her face gently and hushing her. She looked up at Ino. "Hey," she said.

"Long time no see," Ino replied with a smile.

"Moving up in the world, huh?"

"Totally. I see you got married."

"Yeah," she looked at me, smiling. I took both of her hands. Then her face grew scared. "It's going too fast," she murmured, beginning to shiver. "It's too fast, Naruto."

"What do you mean?" I asked. She looked younger. A lot younger.

"I can't keep up with all this. I feel like I'm gonna fall," she whispered, shaking.

"I'll catch you," I told her, and bent down to kiss her gently. She sniffed and a tear leaked from her eye. She bit her lip, holding back tears. I wiped away the tear and blinked back my own.

"Shh, Sakura…shh. We're almost there," I told her.

"C'mon, Sakura, one last push!" the midwife's voice encouraged, and Sakura, face dripping with sweat, nodded weakly. I gripped her hand and caressed her forehead.

"I can't do this," she whispered, defeated. She looked close to crying, and it hurt so much. I wanted to curl up and die. But I couldn't. I had to be strong for her. "I can't do it."

"Sure you can. You're stronger than any girl I know. Please, try. I know it hurts. I hate that it hurts you, but please, try. For me, or for him. For Shimizu. You're almost there," I told her, tears in my own eyes. She met my gaze for a long time. Then she nodded, and her face crumpled in effort as she gave it one last push.

A baby's scream pierced the air, and Sakura lifted her head to look at the squirming pink baby in the midwife's arms.

"Shimizu," Sakura whispered. The midwife handed the baby to her. He immediately stopped crying and began to gurgle, nuzzling into her arms. I looked at the baby with a proud smile. He had thin tufts of auburn hair and Sakura's green eyes, and in that moment, I loved her, and him, so much.

_**~Meet The Family: Naruto's POV~**_

"Daddy!" a girl's voice called, and I turned to see my youngest daughter, Asuka, running towards me. I scooped her up in my arms and buried my face in her pixie-cut red hair. She giggled and threw her arms around my neck. She smelled nice, like cookies. She'd probably been baking with her mother while her brothers and sister were at school. She'd inherited her mother's creative tactics, for sure.

"Hey, kid. How's your day been?" I asked. Asuka giggled and tugged gently on my scruffy hair.

"It's been okay. I baked cookies and cupcakes with Mommy." Suddenly, Asuka cupped her hands over her mouth, her face distressed.

"What? What is it?" I asked worriedly. It broke my heart when my little girl was upset.

"It was meant to be a surprise!" she said, almost crying.

"Shh," I soothed. "We can pretend you didn't tell me when we see Mommy." Asuka's distress disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived, and she giggled again. I loved to hear her laugh. She, along with the rest of my family, were living proof that I had something to get up in the morning for, something worth living for.

"Down please," Asuka said, and I let her slide down my body onto the floor. She gripped my hand and pulled me to the kitchen. My wife, Sakura, turned and smiled, her green eyes lighting up her whole face. I remembered the first time he saw her. I'd fallen in love with those eyes.

"Hey, Naruto." Sakura said with a heartbreakingly beautiful smile. I let go of my daughter's hand and picked Sakura up around the waist, whirling her around. She squealed and I put her down, kissing her thoroughly.

"Hey," I said. "Something smells good in here."

"Asuka, you wanna tell your daddy what we've been up to today?" Sakura asked. Asuka looked up at me, and I winked. She giggled.

"We made cookies and cupcakes!" Asuka laughed delightedly, clapping her little hands. Her blue eyes, the exact same colour as mine, practically sparkled. At that moment, mine and Sakura's older children burst through the front door. They, unlike many other children, were very respectful of their house, their parents, and each other, and each hung up their school bags and coats and took off their shoes, setting them neatly in a row at the foot of the stairs.

The oldest boy, Shimizu, stored his skateboard in the cupboard under the staircase, and ran to join us. The twins, Akimoto and Yumi, quietly followed their brother. Shimizu lifted Asuka up and put her on his shoulders and tickled her bare feet.

"No tickles!" she squealed, twisting her fingers into his red hair. Of all the Uzumaki children, Shimizu, who was fifteen, looked the most like Sakura. His eyes shone the same green, and his hair was only slightly darker than hers. The twins, on the other hand, who were both twelve, looked like me. Akimoto's hair fell in golden ringlets to her waist, and Yumi was practically an exact copy of me; curious blue eyes and blonde hair in a scruffy I-don't-care style.

Asuka was a mixture of both. She had Sakura's hair, but my eyes, and she seemed to have inherited the best of both of us. She was only four, but already she had incredible strength, like Sakura, and my determination. She rarely ever used her strength, but it was hard to resist doing what she wanted when she cranked up the adorable factor. I didn't like having favourites, but I had a particular soft spot for Asuka, and she was definitely a daddy's girl. Nevertheless, Sakura and I spent as much time as possible with all of our children, and we tried to organise days out for all of them at every opportunity.

The children and I settled down at the dining room table while Sakura prepared the dinner. It smelled great, but I didn't really expect anything less from Sakura.

"Asuka, Aki, can you come and help me, please?" Sakura called, and the girls stood up and went to her. After a few moments, Asuka came back carrying knives and forks, and Akimoto placed a jug of homemade lemonade in the centre of the table. Within minutes, Sakura came in carrying a huge plate of golden chicken, surrounded by perfect roast potatoes and vegetables. I poured lemonade into each of the six glasses, and Sakura lifted food onto the plates.

Another thing about Sakura was that she always knew exactly what each person wanted. For example, she knew the twins hated skin on their chicken, so she always made sure there was no skin on the chicken that she gave to them. She also knew that Asuka and Shimizu both hated cooked carrots, so she made sure there weren't any on their plates. She got everything perfect, every single time. As she came around to my side of the table, I kissed her gently. She blushed and smiled, and continued to serve out dinner. Finally, she got her own meal and sat down.

We all tucked in heartily, savouring the time together as much as possible as we devoured the delicious food, which tasted better than heaven. It was hard being Hokage, and it felt good to spend time with my family after a long day. Even when I had to bring work home, somehow, we managed to make it fun.

I stared out of the window at the beautiful city view. Konoha. I'd grown up here. I'd made friends (and enemies), fallen in love, undertaken changes over and over, and finally settled down and built up a family. This was my home.

I looked up at the calendar, and my eyes widened as I scanned through the scribbled words. _RIP Hinata Hyuga. _Crap! How could I have forgotten…? I got to my feet and whispered in Sakura's ear.

"It's the anniversary…for Hinata…" I hissed, and she stared at the calendar. Then she nodded and clapped her hands to get the children's attention. They blinked at her, wide eyed. Sakura turned to Shimizu.

"Shimizu, could you get your brother and sisters ready? We're going to the…" she trailed off, biting her lip. Tears filled her eyes and she closed them tight. I walked to her side and hugged her gently. She turned her head into my shoulder. Her own shoulders shook a little, and quiet sobs leaked from her mouth.

"Shh," I whispered, rocking her like a little child. "Shimizu, look at the calendar." My oldest son obeyed, and his green eyes widened as mine had.

"Got it," he whispered, and began to assemble his siblings. "C'mon, guys. Coats, shoes, we gotta go." He walked towards Asuka, and took her hand. "C'mon, Suki." Asuka nodded, eyes wide, and went with her brother to get her coat and shoes.

When we were all ready, we set off to the memorial.

The pale headstone above where we'd buried Hinata all those years ago glowed in the soft sunlight. The gold letters read, _Here lies Hinata Hyuga, aged 16, a dear friend, a beautiful girl, forever missed, never forgotten. _Tears pricked my eyes.

One by one, the children laid a single white rose, Hinata's favourite, on the grave. Sakura laid hers and I followed, kneeling by the headstone for a long time.

"Miss you, Hinata. Always." Then I stood, and we all looked at the headstone for a long time. Suddenly, Asuka took something out of her pocket. I soon recognised it as a seashell, one she'd picked up a couple of years ago and treasured ever since. She gently placed it on Hinata's grave and whispered words that I couldn't hear. Then she took my hand, and we walked away; Sakura, Shimizu, Aki, Yumi, Asuka and me, together, forever and always.

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_**Well, that's officially IT. Hoped you loved it. I'm hopefully starting an OC story. Don't get confused, I'm using the name Asuka again, cause it's cool and for other reasons. Love y'all, especially Kayleigh and Em - until next time, folks! ^^**_


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